Does escitalopram regulate expression of TRH and TRH-like peptides in rat brain and peripheral tissues?
Remarkable 3- to 25-fold increases in TRH and TRH-like peptide levels were observed 2 h after i.p. eCIT in the epididymis. This reproductive tissue has the highest level of serotonin found in most mammals. The acute (2 h) effect of eCIT in brain regions involved in mood regulation, particularly the nucleus accumbens and medulla oblongata, cerebellum, and striatum was to increase the levels of TRH-like peptides, most consistently Phe-TRH. An important exception was a decrease in the level of TRH in the nucleus accumbens. These responses, in general, were the opposite of those we have previously observed after acute restraint stress in this same rat strain. We conclude that some of the therapeutic effects of inhibition of serotonin reuptake are mediated by altered release of TRH and TRH-like peptides.
Study findings suggest that addressing HIV prevention and education among black women in DC will require distinct and targeted strategies that are culturally and community-centered to resonate with these different audiences.