Fig. 5: Summary of the main findings of the study. | Molecular Psychiatry

Fig. 5: Summary of the main findings of the study.

From: A CRHR1 antagonist prevents synaptic loss and memory deficits in a trauma-induced delirium-like syndrome

Fig. 5

a Thoracic trauma (blue line) induces a selective loss of excitatory synapses in the hippocampus that is caused by CRH expression, leading to local degradation of BDNF. The physiological recovery of these parameters after TxT in mice is observed approximately at day 18 dpi. The application of CRH receptor 1 with or without the co-application of corticosterone receptor antagonists (red line) stabilizes hippocampal BDNF expression. Thereby, the morphological and behavioral alterations are rescued. b A thumbnail sketch of the proposed underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Peripheral trauma (here, TxT) induces a pronounced elevation of the hippocampal release of CRH, which activates the canonical NF-κB pathway via synaptic CRHR1s. This activation induces the autophagy machinery, leading to the local degradation of BDNF and eventually to the loss of excitatory synapses in the hippocampus.

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