Stress is a constant threat for homeostasis and is represented by different extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli (stressors, Hans Selye's 'noxious agents'), such as aggressive behavior, fear, diseases, physical activity, drugs, surgical injury, and environmental and physiological changes. Our organism responds to stress activating the adaptive stress system to activate compensatory responses for restoring homeostasis. Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) was discovered as a signaling molecule involved in survival, protection, differentiation, and proliferation of sympathetic and peripheral sensory neurons. NGF mediates stress with an important role in translating environmental stimuli into physiological and pathological feedbacks since NGF levels undergo important variations after exposure to stressful events. Psychological stress, lifestyle stress, and oxidative stress are well known to increase the risk of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorders and metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome. This review reports recent works describing the activity of NGF in mental and metabolic disorders related to stress.

中文翻译：

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神经生长因子，压力和疾病。

压力是对体内稳态的持续威胁，并表现为不同的外部和内在刺激（压力，汉斯·塞利的“有害因子”），例如攻击行为，恐惧，疾病，体育活动，药物，手术损伤以及环境和生理变化。我们的生物体对压力作出反应，从而激活适应性压力系统，从而激活用于恢复体内平衡的代偿反应。神经生长因子（NGF）被发现是一种信号分子，参与交感神经和周围感觉神经元的存活，保护，分化和增殖。NGF介导压力在将环境刺激转化为生理和病理学反馈中起重要作用，因为NGF的水平在暴露于压力事件后会发生重要变化。心理压力，生活方式压力，众所周知，氧化应激和氧化应激会增加精神障碍如精神分裂症，重度抑郁症，躁郁症，饮酒障碍和代谢障碍如代谢综合征的风险。这篇综述报道了有关NGF在与压力有关的精神和代谢疾病中的活性的最新著作。