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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2021; 14(03): 229-235
DOI: 10.5935/1984-0063.20200075
ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Microinjection of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) into the median raphe nucleus promotes REM sleep in rats

Claudia Pascovich
1   Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Fisiología, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Sofia Niño
1   Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Fisiología, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Alejandra Mondino
1   Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Fisiología, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Ximena Lopez-Hill
2   Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Neurofarmacología Experimental, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Jessika Urbanavicius
2   Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Neurofarmacología Experimental, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Jaime Monti
3   Hospital de Clínicas, Farmacología y Terapéutica, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Patricia Lagos
1   Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Fisiología, Montevideo - Uruguay.
,
Pablo Torterolo
1   Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Fisiología, Montevideo - Uruguay.
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ABSTRACT

Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) is a sleep-promoting neuromodulator synthesized by neurons located in the postero-lateral hypothalamus and incerto-hypothalamic area. MCHergic neurons have widespread projections including the serotonergic dorsal (DR) and median (MnR) raphe nuclei, both involved in the control of wakefulness and sleep. In the present study, we explored in rats the presence of the MCH receptor type 1 (MCHR-1) in serotonergic neurons of the MnR by double immunofluorescence. Additionally, we analyzed the effect on sleep of MCH microinjections into the MnR. We found that MCHR-1 protein was present in MnR serotonergic and non-serotonergic neurons. In this respect, the receptor was localized in the primary cilia of these neurons. Compared with saline, microinjections of MCH into the MnR induced a dose-related increase in REM sleep time, which was related to a rise in the number of REM sleep episodes, associated with a reduction in the time spent in W. No significant changes were observed in non-REM (NREM) sleep time. Our data strongly suggest that MCH projections towards the MnR, acting through the MCHR-1 located in the primary cilia, promote REM sleep.

Keywords:

Serotonin - Hypothalamus - Sleep, REM - Peptide - Paradoxical Sleep - Slow Wave Sleep


Publication History

Received: 15 July 2020

Accepted: 30 October 2020

Article published online:
30 November 2023

© 2021. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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