ABSTRACT
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was isolated at the end of a 40 year search for the hypothalamic releasing factor responsible for the release of corticotropin from the anterior pituitary which, in turn, regulates the release of corticosteroids from the adrenal gland. The most sensitive way to quantify CRF is by use of radioimmunoassay techniques. Several lines of evidence adumbrate a crucial role for central nervous system CRF in the physiological, behavioral, and endocrine effects of stress. The focus of several studies has been the examination of brain regions where CRF concentrations may be altered by stress. In a further examination of stress-induced changes in neuropeptides, Deutch et al. examined the concentration of CRF, somatostatin, and neurotensin in six brain regions that were expertly microdissected without micropunches from rats exposed to mild uncontrollable foot-shock. A growing body of evidence from a variety of disciplines implicates CRF as being a major neurotransmitter in the physiological, endocrine, and behavioral response to stress.
