The stress response is an adaptive means of maintaining physiological homeostasis in the face of changing environmental conditions. However, protracted recruitment of stress systems can precipitate wear and tear on the body and may lead to many forms of disease. The mechanisms underlying the connection between chronic stress and disease are not fully understood and are likely multifactorial. In this review, we evaluate the possibility that the hormone ghrelin may contribute to the pathophysiology that follows chronic stress. Since ghrelin was discovered as a pro-hunger hormone, many additional roles for it have been identified, including in learning, memory, reward, and stress. We describe the beneficial effects that ghrelin exerts in healthy mammals and discuss that prolonged exposure to ghrelin has been linked to maladaptive responses and behaviors in the realm of psychiatric disease. In addition, we consider whether chronic stress-associated altered ghrelin signaling may enhance susceptibility to posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid conditions such as major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder. Finally, we explore the possibility that ghrelin-based therapeutics could eventually form the basis of a treatment strategy for illnesses that are linked to chronic stress and potentially also ghrelin dysregulation, and we identify critical avenues for future research in this regard.

中文翻译：

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Ghrelin 作为压力激素：对精神疾病的影响

应激反应是在面对不断变化的环境条件时维持生理稳态的一种适应性手段。然而，压力系统的长期招募会加速身体的磨损和撕裂，并可能导致多种形式的疾病。慢性压力与疾病之间联系的潜在机制尚未完全了解，可能是多因素的。在这篇综述中，我们评估了激素 ghrelin 可能导致慢性压力后的病理生理学的可能性。由于 ghrelin 被发现是一种促饥饿激素，因此已经确定了它的许多其他作用，包括在学习、记忆、奖励和压力方面。我们描述了生长素释放肽对健康哺乳动物的有益作用，并讨论了长期暴露于生长素释放肽与精神疾病领域的适应不良反应和行为有关。此外，我们考虑了慢性压力相关的 ghrelin 信号传导是否会增加对创伤后应激障碍和重度抑郁症和酒精使用障碍等共病的易感性。最后，我们探讨了基于 ghrelin 的疗法最终可能成为治疗与慢性压力和潜在的 ghrelin 失调相关的疾病的治疗策略的基础，并确定了未来这方面研究的关键途径。我们考虑了慢性压力相关的 ghrelin 信号改变是否会增加对创伤后应激障碍和重度抑郁症和酒精使用障碍等合并症的易感性。最后，我们探讨了基于 ghrelin 的疗法最终可能成为治疗与慢性压力和潜在的 ghrelin 失调相关的疾病的治疗策略的基础，并确定了未来这方面研究的关键途径。我们考虑了慢性压力相关的 ghrelin 信号改变是否会增加对创伤后应激障碍和重度抑郁症和酒精使用障碍等合并症的易感性。最后，我们探讨了基于 ghrelin 的疗法最终可能成为治疗与慢性压力和潜在的 ghrelin 失调相关的疾病的治疗策略的基础，并确定了未来这方面研究的关键途径。