Browsing by Author "Geddie, Hannah"

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    Cortisol, glucose, and oxidative stress: a unified hypothesis of psychological stress and neurological dysfunction
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Geddie, Hannah; Essop, M. Faadiel; Joseph, Danzil; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Physiological Sciences.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Chronic stress is a global pandemic implicated in the onset and progression of numerous non- communicable diseases. Although promising hypotheses regarding the relationship between stress and adverse health outcomes do exist, there are relatively limited insights regarding the underlying mechanisms driving this phenomenon. Related literature describes glucose metabolic perturbations mediated by chronic stress and their putative impact, particularly in terms of long-term functional defects observed in stress-related disorders. Furthermore, prior research established that oxidative stress-induced shunting of glycolytic intermediates into nonoxidative glucose pathways (NOGPs), such as the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), is linked to pathophysiologic outcomes. Although changes in glucose metabolism and the induction of oxidative stress in the brain are key features of chronic stress, the mechanisms underlying such alterations and the related interplay between mediators are poorly understood. This review will therefore begin by establishing what is currently known about glucose metabolism and oxidative stress as primary, individual contributors to stress-induced pathology. Hereafter the two will be explored in tandem, culminating in a novel hypothesis whereby perturbed glucose metabolism and oxidative stress converge to promote and exacerbate pathological remodeling of the brain. We propose that prolonged activation of the stress response leads to increased brain HBP flux that impacts cerebral redox homeostasis and thereby results in neurological dysfunction.