Adenosine Downregulates the Activities of Glutamatergic Neurons in the Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus Required for Sleep

Changlin Chen; Yichen Lin; Feng Cai; Jinsui Li; Haixun Li; Xiantao Li

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.907155

Frontiers in Neuroscience (Jun 2022)

Adenosine Downregulates the Activities of Glutamatergic Neurons in the Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus Required for Sleep

Changlin Chen,
Yichen Lin,
Feng Cai,
Jinsui Li,
Haixun Li,
Xiantao Li

Affiliations

Changlin Chen: Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
Yichen Lin: Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
Feng Cai: Department of Urology and Neurocardiothoracic Surgery, 927 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Pu’er, China
Jinsui Li: Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
Haixun Li: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
Xiantao Li: Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.907155
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16

Abstract

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Adenosine is an endogenous substance that regulates sleep homeostasis. It plays an important role in sleep induction under physiological condition. So far, the neural mechanisms underlying sleep-promoting effects of adenosine are not completely clear. Recent studies have shown that glutamatergic neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH) play an important role in wakefulness. Using whole-cell patch-clamp, we found that adenosine can inhibit glutamatergic neurons in PVH. This inhibition is mainly achieved by activating adenosine type 1 receptors, thereby reducing hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels. By recording electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyography (EMG), it was found that local administration of adenosine type 1 receptor blocker in PVH could significantly reduce the NREM sleep. On the contrary, if adenosine was given, it could increase the NREM sleep. These results suggest that adenosine can promote sleep by reducing the excitability of PVH neurons. This findings reveal a novel mechanism of adenosine regulating sleep homeostasis.

Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience

ISSN: 1662-4548 (Print); 1662-453X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/neuroscience

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