A new model for the HPA axis explains dysregulation of stress hormones on the timescale of weeks.

ABSTRACT: Stress activates a complex network of hormones known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is dysregulated in chronic stress and psychiatric disorders, but the origin of this dysregulation is unclear and cannot be explained by current HPA models. To address this, we developed a mathematical model for the HPA axis that incorporates changes in the total functional mass of the HPA hormone-secreting glands. The mass changes are caused by HPA hormones which act as growth factors for the glands in the axis. We find that the HPA axis shows the property of dynamical compensation, where gland masses adjust over weeks to buffer variation in physiological parameters. These mass changes explain the experimental findings on dysregulation of cortisol and ACTH dynamics in alcohol

SUBMITTER: Karin O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7364861 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature