title: Effects of hypocretin2-saporin and antidopamine-beta-hydroxylase-saporin neurotoxic lesions of the dorsolateral pons on sleep and muscle tone.
abstract: The hypocretin neurons have been implicated in regulating sleep-wake states as they are lost in patients with the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Hypocretin (HCRT) neurons are located only in the perifornical region of the posterior hypothalamus and heavily innervate pontine brainstem neurons, such as the locus coeruleus (LC), which have traditionally been implicated in promoting arousal. It is not known how the hypocretin innervation of the pons regulates sleep-wake states as pontine lesions have never been shown to increase sleep. It is likely that in previous studies specific neurons were not lesioned. Therefore, in this study, we applied saporin-based neurotoxins to the dorsolateral pons and monitored sleep in rats. Anti-dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-saporin killed the LC neurons but sleep was affected only during a two hour light-dark transition period. Application of hypocretin2-saporin killed fewer LC neurons relative to other adjacent neurons. This occurred because the LC neurons possess the hypocretin receptor 1 but the ligand hypocretin 2 binds to this receptor with less affinity relative to the hypocretin receptor 2. The hypocretin2-saporin lesioned rats compared to controls had increased sleep during the dark period and displayed increased limb movements during REM sleep. None of the lesioned rats had sleep onset REM sleep periods or cataplexy. We conclude that the hypocretin innervation to the pons functions to awaken the animal when the lights turn off (via its innervation of the LC), sustains arousal and represses sleep during the rest of the night (via a wider innervation of other pontine neurons), and modulates muscle tone.
authors.affiliation: West Roxbury VA Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanco-Centurion
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerashchenko
authors.forename: Rafael J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Salin-Pascual
authors.forename: Priyattam J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shiromani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000633:toxicity; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000633:toxicity*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000633:toxicity*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011149:Pons / Q000166:cytology / Q000293:injuries; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D000076985:Saporins; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014118:Toxins, Biological
chemical_list: C085696:192 IgG-saporin; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000922:Immunotoxins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D014118:Toxins, Biological; C101397:anti-dopamine beta-hydroxylase immunotoxin; C435665:hypocretin-2-saporin conjugate; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D000076985:Saporins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D009638:Norepinephrine