Vloga stresa in epigenetskih dejavnikov pri anksiozno- depresivnih stanjih

Povzetek

Stres je kot okoljski dejavnik pomembno vključen v patogenezo anksioznih in depresivnih stanj. Zaznava stresorja sproži kaskado molekularnih, hormonskih ter nevronskih procesov, ki povzročijo spremembo vedenja, ta je lahko adaptivna ali, v primeru vztraja- nja ali disregulacije, privede do pojava psihopatolo- gije. Pomemben glasnik stresa so glukokortikoidi, ki po vezavi na glukokortikoidni receptor ne sprožijo le sprememb v transkripcijskem profilu, temveč pov- zročajo tudi trajne spremembe epigenoma. Metilacija DNK, kot eden izmed epigenetskih mehanizmov, regulira izražanje genov, s čimer vpliva na pojav in potek anksiozno-depresivnih stanj.

Stress as an environmental factor plays an important role in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depressive disorders. A stressor causes a cascade of molecular, hormonal and neuronal processes that result in a behavioral change which can be adaptive or, if chro- nic or dysregulated, may have detrimental effects on the individuals‘ mental health. Glucocorticoids act as an important messenger of stressful stimuli by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor and cau- sing changes in, not only the transcriptional profile of the cell, but also its epigenome. DNA methylation, as an epigenetic mechanism, regulates gene expres- sion and determines the development and evolu- tion of anxious and depressive states.