title: Role of the melanin-concentrating hormone neuropeptide in sleep regulation.
abstract: Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a neuropeptide secreted by a limited number of neurons within the tuberal hypothalamus, has been drawn in the field of sleep only fairly recently in 2003. Since then, growing experimental evidence indicates that MCH may play a crucial role in the homeostatic regulation of paradoxical sleep (PS). MCH-expressing neurons fire specifically during PS. When injected icv MCH induces a 200% increase in PS quantities in rats and the lack of MCH induces a decrease in sleep quantities in transgenic mice. Here, we review recent studies suggesting a role for MCH in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, in particular PS, including insights on (1) the specific activity of MCH neurons during PS; (2) how they might be controlled across the sleep-wake cycle; (3) how they might modulate PS; (4) and finally whether MCH might take part in the expression of some symptoms observed in primary sleep disorders.
authors: UMR CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Université de Lyon, Institut Fédératif des Neurosciences de Lyon, France. peyron@sommeil.univ-lyon1.fr
authors: Christelle
authors: C
authors: Peyron
authors: Emilie
authors: E
authors: Sapin
authors: Lucienne
authors: L
authors: Leger
authors: Pierre-Hervé
authors: PH
authors: Luppi
authors: Patrice
authors: P
authors: Fort
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000378:metabolism; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone