[Central control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis for stress response].

Stress reaction is an adaptive response of all living organism to stressful events and essential for their survival. The main feature of stress reaction is activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, central control of which is very complex. The hippocampus is involved in integration of sensory information, interpretation of environmental information, and execution of appropriate behavioral and neuroendocrine responses. The amygdala is an executor of stress behavioral, autonomic and neuroendocrine responses. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is responsible for initiating HPA axis stress reaction. The negative feedback regulation of stress hormones, local hypothalamic circuits and cytokines probably are involved in regulation of HPA activation.