Quetiapine regulates the stress-induced increase in corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA expression in the rat hypothalamus

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a key regulator of the stress response. We investigated the effects of the atypical antipsychotic drug quetiapine on CRF mRNA expression in the rat hypothalamus following immobilization stress. Pretreatment with 10 mg/kg quetiapine significantly reduced the immobilization stress-induced increase in CRF mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These results suggest that quetiapine may modulate the stress response via regulation of CRF mRNA expression.