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Pham XT, Abe Y, Mukai Y, Ono D, Tanaka KF, Ohmura Y, Wake H, Yamanaka A. Glutamatergic signaling from melanin-concentrating hormone-producing neurons: A requirement for memory regulation, but not for metabolism control. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae275. [PMID: 39035036 PMCID: PMC11259978 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone-producing neurons (MCH neurons), found mainly in the lateral hypothalamus and surrounding areas, play essential roles in various brain functions, including sleep and wakefulness, reward, metabolism, learning, and memory. These neurons coexpress several neurotransmitters and act as glutamatergic neurons. The contribution of glutamate from MCH neurons to memory- and metabolism-related functions has not been fully investigated. In a mouse model, we conditionally knocked out Slc17a6 gene, which encodes for vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGlut2), in the MCH neurons exclusively by using two different methods: the Cre recombinase/loxP system and in vivo genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9. Then, we evaluated several aspects of memory and measured metabolic rates using indirect calorimetry. We found that mice with MCH neuron-exclusive vGlut2 ablation had higher discrimination ratios between novel and familiar stimuli for novel object recognition, object location, and three-chamber tests. In contrast, there was no significant change in body weight, food intake, oxygen consumption, respiratory quotient, or locomotor activity. These findings suggest that glutamatergic signaling from MCH neurons is required to regulate memory, but its role in regulating metabolic rate is negligible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Thang Pham
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
- Department of Neural Regulation, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Cell Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Yoshifumi Abe
- Division of Brain Sciences, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Mukai
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
- Department of Neural Regulation, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ono
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
- Department of Neural Regulation, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Kenji F Tanaka
- Division of Brain Sciences, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yu Ohmura
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR), Beijing 102206, China
| | - Hiroaki Wake
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Cell Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Division of Brain Sciences, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR), Beijing 102206, China
- National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
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Vetrivelan R, Bandaru SS. Neural Control of REM Sleep and Motor Atonia: Current Perspectives. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2023; 23:907-923. [PMID: 38060134 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-023-01322-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Since the formal discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in 1953, we have gained a vast amount of knowledge regarding the specific populations of neurons, their connections, and synaptic mechanisms regulating this stage of sleep and its accompanying features. This article discusses REM sleep circuits and their dysfunction, specifically emphasizing recent studies using conditional genetic tools. RECENT FINDINGS Sublaterodorsal nucleus (SLD) in the dorsolateral pons, especially the glutamatergic subpopulation in this region (SLDGlut), are shown to be indispensable for REM sleep. These neurons appear to be single REM generators in the rodent brain and may initiate and orchestrate all REM sleep events, including cortical and hippocampal activation and muscle atonia through distinct pathways. However, several cell groups in the brainstem and hypothalamus may influence SLDGlut neuron activity, thereby modulating REM sleep timing, amounts, and architecture. Damage to SLDGlut neurons or their projections involved in muscle atonia leads to REM behavior disorder, whereas the abnormal activation of this pathway during wakefulness may underlie cataplexy in narcolepsy. Despite some opposing views, it has become evident that SLDGlut neurons are the sole generators of REM sleep and its associated characteristics. Further research should prioritize a deeper understanding of their cellular, synaptic, and molecular properties, as well as the mechanisms that trigger their activation during cataplexy and make them susceptible in RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramalingam Vetrivelan
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
| | - Sathyajit Sai Bandaru
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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Beekly BG, Rupp A, Burgess CR, Elias CF. Fast neurotransmitter identity of MCH neurons: Do contents depend on context? Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 70:101069. [PMID: 37149229 PMCID: PMC11190671 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons participate in many fundamental neuroendocrine processes. While some of their effects can be attributed to MCH itself, others appear to depend on co-released neurotransmitters. Historically, the subject of fast neurotransmitter co-release from MCH neurons has been contentious, with data to support MCH neurons releasing GABA, glutamate, both, and neither. Rather than assuming a position in that debate, this review considers the evidence for all sides and presents an alternative explanation: neurochemical identity, including classical neurotransmitter content, is subject to change. With an emphasis on the variability of experimental details, we posit that MCH neurons may release GABA and/or glutamate at different points according to environmental and contextual factors. Through the lens of the MCH system, we offer evidence that the field of neuroendocrinology would benefit from a more nuanced and dynamic interpretation of neurotransmitter identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- B G Beekly
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Elizabeth W. Caswell Diabetes Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - A Rupp
- Elizabeth W. Caswell Diabetes Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - C R Burgess
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - C F Elias
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Elizabeth W. Caswell Diabetes Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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4
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Potter LE, Burgess CR. The melanin-concentrating hormone system as a target for the treatment of sleep disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:952275. [PMID: 36177357 PMCID: PMC9513178 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.952275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the widespread prevalence of sleep disorders and their impacts on health, it is critical that researchers continue to identify and evaluate novel avenues of treatment. Recently the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) system has attracted commercial and scientific interest as a potential target of pharmacotherapy for sleep disorders. This interest emerges from basic scientific research demonstrating a role for MCH in regulating sleep, and particularly REM sleep. In addition to this role in sleep regulation, the MCH system and the MCH receptor 1 (MCHR1) have been implicated in a wide variety of other physiological functions and behaviors, including feeding/metabolism, reward, anxiety, depression, and learning. The basic research literature on sleep and the MCH system, and the history of MCH drug development, provide cause for both skepticism and cautious optimism about the prospects of MCH-targeting drugs in sleep disorders. Extensive efforts have focused on developing MCHR1 antagonists for use in obesity, however, few of these drugs have advanced to clinical trials, and none have gained regulatory approval. Additional basic research will be needed to fully characterize the MCH system’s role in sleep regulation, for example, to fully differentiate between MCH-neuron and peptide/receptor-mediated functions. Additionally, a number of issues relating to drug design will continue to pose a practical challenge for novel pharmacotherapies targeting the MCH system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam E. Potter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Liam E. Potter,
| | - Christian R. Burgess
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Christian R. Burgess,
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Characterization of Hypothalamic MCH Neuron Development in a 3D Differentiation System of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0442-21.2022. [PMID: 35437265 PMCID: PMC9047030 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0442-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons are important regulators of multiple physiological processes, such as sleep, feeding, and memory. Despite the increasing interest in their neuronal functions, the molecular mechanism underlying MCH neuron development remains poorly understood. We report that a three-dimensional culture of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can generate hypothalamic-like tissues containing MCH-positive neurons, which reproduce morphologic maturation, neuronal connectivity, and neuropeptide/neurotransmitter phenotype of native MCH neurons. Using this in vitro system, we demonstrate that Hedgehog (Hh) signaling serves to produce major neurochemical subtypes of MCH neurons characterized by the presence or absence of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART). Without exogenous Hh signals, mESCs initially differentiated into dorsal hypothalamic/prethalamic progenitors and finally into MCH+CART+ neurons through a specific intermediate progenitor state. Conversely, activation of the Hh pathway specified ventral hypothalamic progenitors that generate both MCH+CART− and MCH+CART+ neurons. These results suggest that in vivo MCH neurons may originate from multiple cell lineages that arise through early dorsoventral patterning of the hypothalamus. Additionally, we found that Hh signaling supports the differentiation of mESCs into orexin/hypocretin neurons, a well-defined cell group intermingled with MCH neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). The present study highlights and improves the utility of mESC culture in the analysis of the developmental programs of specific hypothalamic cell types.
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Pahlitzsch M, Fritsche-Guenther R, Pompös I, Pohlmann D, Maier AKB, Winterhalter S, Erb C, Rübsam A. Correlation of NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 with Cytokine Levels in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma. Clin Ophthalmol 2021; 15:2505-2517. [PMID: 34163135 PMCID: PMC8216077 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s307379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Nesfatin-1 is produced in various tissues of the body including the hypothalamus. Neuroprotective properties of the neuropeptide hormone Nesfatin-1 were recently described. The aim of the study was to analyze the molecule Nesfatin-1 as a possible biomarker in POAG with neuroprotective properties pointing out the retinal-hypothalamic axis as target site in POAG and to obtain a molecular signature of cytokines in POAG as neuroinflammatory processes are a key factor of glaucoma development. Methods In this study, n=35 patients with moderate and advanced POAG (mean age 65.0y, IOP 13.9±3.0mmHg) and n=35 healthy controls (mean age 51.6y, IOP 14.3±2.7mmHg) were included. Clinical parameters including IOP, cup to disc ratio (CDR), glaucoma medication and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) were recorded. Plasma was collected for NUCB2/nesfatin-1 measurement using a Nesfatin-1 ELISA and for detection of 13 inflammatory cytokines using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay (MagPix). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to adjust for confounding factors. Results Sex-independent or sex-dependent variables showed no significant differences in the Nesfatin-1 level (p>0.05). As a trend, an increase in NUCB2/nesfatin-1 in male glaucoma patients was found. Increased concentrations of 11 cytokines (GM-CSF, Interferon-γ, Interleukin-1β, IL-2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 and TNF-α) were detected in POAG. The female glaucoma patients demonstrated elevated cytokine concentrations compared to male patients. NUCB2/nesfatin-1 showed a significant correlation to IL-2 and IL-13 levels in POAG. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed no difference in NUCB2/nesfatin-1 level between POAG and healthy controls after adjusting for sex and age (all p>0.05). Conclusion As a trend, male POAG patients showed increased plasma NUCB2/nesfatin-1 levels. We further found inflammation as contributing factor to the pathogenesis of glaucoma, with a greater inflammatory response in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Pahlitzsch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Raphaela Fritsche-Guenther
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Metabolomics Platform, Berlin, Germany
| | - Inga Pompös
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominika Pohlmann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna-Karina B Maier
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sibylle Winterhalter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carl Erb
- Eye clinic Wittenbergplatz, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Rübsam
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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7
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Izawa S, Yoneshiro T, Kondoh K, Nakagiri S, Okamatsu-Ogura Y, Terao A, Minokoshi Y, Yamanaka A, Kimura K. Melanin-concentrating hormone-producing neurons in the hypothalamus regulate brown adipose tissue and thus contribute to energy expenditure. J Physiol 2021; 600:815-827. [PMID: 33899241 DOI: 10.1113/jp281241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neuron-ablated mice exhibit increased energy expenditure and reduced fat weight. Increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity and locomotor activity-independent energy expenditure contributed to body weight reduction in MCH neuron-ablated mice. MCH neurons send inhibitory input to the medullary raphe nucleus to modulate BAT activity. ABSTRACT Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) peptide robustly affects energy homeostasis. However, it is unclear whether and how MCH-producing neurons, which contain and release a variety of neuropeptides/transmitters, regulate energy expenditure in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. We thus examined the regulation of energy expenditure by MCH neurons, focusing on interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity. MCH neuron-ablated mice exhibited reduced body weight, increased oxygen consumption, and increased BAT activity, which improved locomotor activity-independent energy expenditure. Trans-neuronal retrograde tracing with the recombinant pseudorabies virus revealed that MCH neurons innervate BAT via the sympathetic premotor region in the medullary raphe nucleus (MRN). MRN neurons were activated by MCH neuron ablation. Therefore, endogenous MCH neuron activity negatively modulates energy expenditure via BAT inhibition. MRN neurons might receive inhibitory input from MCH neurons to suppress BAT activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuntaro Izawa
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.,Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.,Department of Neural Regulation, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.,JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yoneshiro
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.,Division of Metabolic Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kunio Kondoh
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shohei Nakagiri
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Yuko Okamatsu-Ogura
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Akira Terao
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan.,Department of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Tokai University, Sapporo, 005-8601, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Minokoshi
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.,Department of Neural Regulation, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Kimura
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
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Wu J, Liu D, Li J, Sun J, Huang Y, Zhang S, Gao S, Mei W. Central Neural Circuits Orchestrating Thermogenesis, Sleep-Wakefulness States and General Anesthesia States. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 20:223-253. [PMID: 33632102 PMCID: PMC9199556 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210225152728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Great progress has been made in specifically identifying the central neural circuits (CNCs) of the core body temperature (Tcore), sleep-wakefulness states (SWs), and general anesthesia states (GAs), mainly utilizing optogenetic or chemogenetic manipulations. We summarize the neuronal populations and neural pathways of these three CNCs, which gives evidence for the orchestration within these three CNCs, and the integrative regulation of these three CNCs by different environmental light signals. We also outline some transient receptor potential (TRP) channels that function in the CNCs-Tcore and are modulated by some general anesthetics, which makes TRP channels possible targets for addressing the general-anesthetics-induced-hypothermia (GAIH). We suggest this review will provide new orientations for further consummating these CNCs and elucidating the central mechanisms of GAIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Daiqiang Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Jiayan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Jia Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Yujie Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Shaojie Gao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030. China
| | - Wei Mei
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jiefang Ave 1095, Wuhan 430030. China
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Bandaru SS, Khanday MA, Ibrahim N, Naganuma F, Vetrivelan R. Sleep-Wake Control by Melanin-Concentrating Hormone (MCH) Neurons: a Review of Recent Findings. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2020; 20:55. [PMID: 33006677 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-020-01075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-expressing neurons located in the lateral hypothalamus are considered as an integral component of sleep-wake circuitry. However, the precise role of MCH neurons in sleep-wake regulation has remained unclear, despite several years of research employing a wide range of techniques. We review recent data on this aspect, which are mostly inconsistent, and propose a novel role for MCH neurons in sleep regulation. RECENT FINDINGS While almost all studies using "gain-of-function" approaches show an increase in rapid eye movement sleep (or paradoxical sleep; PS), loss-of-function approaches have not shown reductions in PS. Similarly, the reported changes in wakefulness or non-rapid eye movement sleep (slow-wave sleep; SWS) with manipulation of the MCH system using conditional genetic methods are inconsistent. Currently available data do not support a role for MCH neurons in spontaneous sleep-wake but imply a crucial role for them in orchestrating sleep-wake responses to changes in external and internal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sathyajit S Bandaru
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 3 Blackfan Circle, Center for Life Science # 711, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mudasir A Khanday
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 3 Blackfan Circle, Center for Life Science # 711, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nazifa Ibrahim
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 3 Blackfan Circle, Center for Life Science # 711, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Fumito Naganuma
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 3 Blackfan Circle, Center for Life Science # 711, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ramalingam Vetrivelan
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 3 Blackfan Circle, Center for Life Science # 711, Boston, MA, USA. .,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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10
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Negishi K, Payant MA, Schumacker KS, Wittmann G, Butler RM, Lechan RM, Steinbusch HWM, Khan AM, Chee MJ. Distributions of hypothalamic neuron populations coexpressing tyrosine hydroxylase and the vesicular GABA transporter in the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1833-1855. [PMID: 31950494 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus contains catecholaminergic neurons marked by the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). As multiple chemical messengers coexist in each neuron, we determined if hypothalamic TH-immunoreactive (ir) neurons express vesicular glutamate or GABA transporters. We used Cre/loxP recombination to express enhanced GFP (EGFP) in neurons expressing the vesicular glutamate (vGLUT2) or GABA transporter (vGAT), then determined whether TH-ir neurons colocalized with native EGFPVglut2 - or EGFPVgat -fluorescence, respectively. EGFPVglut2 neurons were not TH-ir. However, discrete TH-ir signals colocalized with EGFPVgat neurons, which we validated by in situ hybridization for Vgat mRNA. To contextualize the observed pattern of colocalization between TH-ir and EGFPVgat , we first performed Nissl-based parcellation and plane-of-section analysis, and then mapped the distribution of TH-ir EGFPVgat neurons onto atlas templates from the Allen Reference Atlas (ARA) for the mouse brain. TH-ir EGFPVgat neurons were distributed throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the hypothalamus. Within the ARA ontology of gray matter regions, TH-ir neurons localized primarily to the periventricular hypothalamic zone, periventricular hypothalamic region, and lateral hypothalamic zone. There was a strong presence of EGFPVgat fluorescence in TH-ir neurons across all brain regions, but the most striking colocalization was found in a circumscribed portion of the zona incerta (ZI)-a region assigned to the hypothalamus in the ARA-where every TH-ir neuron expressed EGFPVgat . Neurochemical characterization of these ZI neurons revealed that they display immunoreactivity for dopamine but not dopamine β-hydroxylase. Collectively, these findings indicate the existence of a novel mouse hypothalamic population that may signal through the release of GABA and/or dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Negishi
- UTEP Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, and Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Mikayla A Payant
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kayla S Schumacker
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gabor Wittmann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca M Butler
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ronald M Lechan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Harry W M Steinbusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Section Cellular Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Arshad M Khan
- UTEP Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, and Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Melissa J Chee
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Kroeger D, Bandaru SS, Madara JC, Vetrivelan R. Ventrolateral periaqueductal gray mediates rapid eye movement sleep regulation by melanin-concentrating hormone neurons. Neuroscience 2019; 406:314-324. [PMID: 30890480 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Neurons containing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) in the lateral hypothalamic area (LH) have been shown to promote rapid eye movement sleep (REMs) in mice. However, the downstream neural pathways through which MCH neurons influence REMs remained unclear. Because MCH neurons are considered to be primarily inhibitory, we hypothesized that these neurons inhibit the midbrain 'REMs-suppressing' region consisting of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray and the lateral pontine tegmentum (vlPAG/LPT) to promote REMs. To test this hypothesis, we optogenetically inhibited MCH terminals in the vlPAG/LPT under baseline conditions as well as with simultaneous chemogenetic activation of MCH soma. We found that inhibition of MCH terminals in the vlPAG/LPT significantly reduced transitions into REMs during spontaneous sleep-wake cycles and prevented the increase in REMs transitions observed after chemogenetic activation of MCH neurons. These results strongly suggest that the vlPAG/LPT may be an essential relay through which MCH neurons modulate REMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kroeger
- Department of Neurology, Program in Neuroscience and Division of Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA-02215, United States.
| | - Sathyajit S Bandaru
- Department of Neurology, Program in Neuroscience and Division of Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA-02215, United States.
| | - Joseph C Madara
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA-02215, United States.
| | - Ramalingam Vetrivelan
- Department of Neurology, Program in Neuroscience and Division of Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA-02215, United States.
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