Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01185 (vasopressin)
 23,126 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Severe early stress and maltreatment produces a cascade of events that have the potential to alter brain development. The first stage of the cascade involves the stress-induced programming of the glucocorticoid, noradrenergic, and vasopressin-oxytocin stress response systems to augment stress responses. These neurohumors then produce effects on neurogenesis, synaptic overproduction and pruning, and myelination during specific sensitive periods. Major consequences include reduced size of the mid-portions of the corpus callosum; attenuated development of the left neocortex, hippocampus, and amygdala along with abnormal frontotemporal electrical activity; and reduced functional activity of the cerebellar vermis. These alterations, in turn, provide the neurobiological framework through which early abuse increases the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity, borderline personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and substance abuse.
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PMID:Developmental neurobiology of childhood stress and trauma. 1213 7

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by affective instability, impulsivity, identity diffusion, and interpersonal dysfunction. Perceived rejection and loss often serve as triggers to impulsive, suicidal, and self-injurious behavior, affective reactivity, and angry outbursts, suggesting that the attachment and affiliative system may be implicated in the disorder. Neuropeptides, including the opioids, oxytocin, and vasopressin, serve a crucial role in the regulation of affiliative behaviors and thus may be altered in borderline personality disorder. While clinical data are limited, the authors propose alternative neuropeptide models of borderline personality disorder and review relevant preclinical research supporting the role of altered neuropeptide function in this disorder in the hope of stimulating more basic research and the development of new treatment approaches.
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PMID:The interpersonal dimension of borderline personality disorder: toward a neuropeptide model. 1995 75

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from marked affective disturbance, an unstable sense of self, difficulty in interpersonal relationships and heightened impulsivity, leading to high rates of self-harm and suicide. Patients are often refractory to treatment and are at high risk for acute or dangerous presentations, with a serious impact on mental health services. There has been much debate on the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in treating different facets of the psychopathology of the disorder. Several guidelines recommend the use of antidepressant agents, mood stabilizers for affective dysregulation and impulsive-behavioural dyscontrol, and antipsychotics for cognitive-perceptual symptoms. However, concerns have recently been raised regarding the strength of evidence for these treatment recommendations in BPD. Here, we review the evidence for efficacy of the main psychotropic medications used in BPD, drawing, in particular, on evidence from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. Overall, meta-analysis provides little evidence to support the use of antidepressant medication in BPD outside episodes of major depression. However, there is evidence for the use of both mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications for the treatment of specific aspects of the disorder. Most existing studies have been conducted on small numbers of patients, and there is a requirement for further large-scale trials to substantiate these findings. In addition, given the limitations of current pharmacological treatment of BPD, there is a pressing need to investigate potential new therapeutic targets, including neuropeptides, such as the opioids and vasopressin, and drugs targeted at ameliorating the biological effects of early life stress.
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PMID:Borderline personality disorder: current drug treatments and future prospects. 2325 29