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Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice
Published on: June 19, 2019
Sleep and energy balance: Interactive homeostatic systems
1Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY 10025, USA. drvanitallie@cshore.com
Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental
|September 19, 2006
Summary
The brain tightly links hunger and sleep regulation. Hypocretin neurons and circadian rhythms coordinate feeding, vigilance, satiety, and sleep, pairing hunger with daylight and sleep with darkness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Metabolism
Background:
- Early human behaviors linked food acquisition and rest to daylight and nighttime, respectively.
- Recent research reveals intertwined homeostatic regulation of food intake and sleep.
- A hard-wired connection between hunger/satiety and sleep regulation is suggested by hypocretin-1 deficiency studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the physiological underpinnings of the relationship between food intake and sleep.
- To elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms coordinating feeding behavior and sleep-wake cycles.
- To investigate the role of hypocretin and circadian systems in energy balance.
Main Methods:
- Studies of eating behavior in rats, correlating sleep duration with meal energy content.
- Investigating the effects of hypocretin-1 administration on feeding and locomotion in rats.
- Examining the responsiveness of hypothalamic hypocretin neurons to metabolic cues.
- Analyzing circadian clock mutant mice for feeding rhythms and body composition changes.
Main Results:
- Sleep duration after meals correlates with meal energy content in rats.
- Hypocretin-1 deficiency in mice and dogs leads to narcolepsy.
- Hypocretin-1 administration induces feeding and activity.
- Hypothalamic hypocretin neurons respond to metabolic signals.
- Circadian clock disruption alters feeding rhythms, causing obesity.
- Disrupted circadian cycles and sleep deprivation impact energy balance and body composition.
Conclusions:
- Neurophysiological and metabolic mechanisms coordinate food-seeking behavior with sleep-wakefulness.
- Hunger and vigilance are paired with daylight, while satiety and sleep are paired with darkness.
- A predominantly hypocretinergic hypothalamic system, influenced by the suprachiasmatic nucleus and metabolic signals, links these behaviors.
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