Psychological stress and aging: role of glucocorticoids (GCs)

Age (Dordr). 2012 Dec;34(6):1421-33. doi: 10.1007/s11357-011-9319-0. Epub 2011 Oct 5.

Abstract

Psychological stress has extreme adverse consequences on health. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate and accelerate the process of aging due to stress hormone are not well defined. This review has focused on diverse molecular paths that come out in response to chronic psychological stress via releasing of excessive glucocorticoids (GCs), involved in the aging process. GCs suppress transcription of nuclear cell adhesion molecules which impair synaptic plasticity, memory formation, and cognitive ability. Again, GCs promote muscle atrophy by means of motivating ubiquitin proteasome system and can repress muscle protein synthesis by inhibition of PI3-kinase/Akt pathway. GCs also inhibit interleukin-2 synthesis through suppressing T cell receptor signal that leads to loss of T cell activation, proliferation, and B-cell activation. Moreover, GCs increase the expression of collagenase-3, RANK ligand, and colony stimulating factor-1 that induce bone resorption. In general, stress-induced GCs can play causal role for aging and age-related disorders.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aging / genetics
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Clonal Evolution
  • DNA Damage / genetics
  • Free Radicals / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Glucocorticoids / physiology*
  • Hippocampus / physiopathology
  • Homeostasis / genetics
  • Homeostasis / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immunocompetence / genetics
  • Immunocompetence / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism
  • Muscle Strength / genetics
  • Muscle Strength / physiology
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
  • Neuronal Plasticity / genetics
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology
  • Neurosecretory Systems / physiopathology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Stress, Psychological / physiopathology*
  • Telomere Homeostasis / genetics
  • Telomere Homeostasis / physiology

Substances

  • Free Radicals
  • Glucocorticoids
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules