How the brain regulates states of consciousness is not known, but first-order circuits detailing interactions between wake-active and sleep-active neurons have been proposed. Here we focus on a portion of the wake circuit that involves the basal forebrain (BF) and link it to the neuropeptide hypocretin (HCRT). The basal forebrain (BF)has been implicated in regulating wakefulness (Szymusiak, 2000), and contains neurons that are preferentially wake/REM-active or sleep-active (Szymusiak, 2000). The sleep-active neurons are GABAergic (Manns et al.,-2003) and could oppose the wake-active neurons (Jones, 2004). The wake-active neurons are thought to be driven by ascending influences from other arousal populations (Semba, 2000), and are hypothesized to shut-off by the localized build-up of adenosine (AD) (Porkka- Heiskanen et al., 1997). Although in the BF adenosine levels rise with wakefulness and then fall with sleep, would adenosine levels rise with prolonged waking if the cholinergic neurons were absent? This is an important question that surprisingly has never been investigated, but which can easily be answered by using 192-lgG-saporin to lesion the BF cholinergic neurons and measuring adenosine in the BF that is devoid of cholinergic neurons. Here we propose four aims utilizing overlapping methodologies and transgenic rats to test a specific circuit.
Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that in the absence of the BF cholinergic neurons adenosine will not build in the BF in response to waking.
Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that in the absence of the BF cholinergic neurons adenosine or the adenosine A1 receptor agonist CHA will not induce sleep.
Aim 3 will link the HCRT system with the BF cholinergic system by demonstrating that ascending influences from this prominent arousal system drives the BF. We will directly test this possibility by demonstrating that in 192-lgG sap lesioned rats HCRT will be less effective in evoking wakefulness.
In aim 4 we will utilize the ataxin-HCRT transgenic rats to test this circuit. We will measure AD levels in the BF of the transgenic rats and hypothesize that in response to prolonged waking they will be lower compared to wild-type control rats, since the HCRT neurons are lost and not driving the BF neurons. Then 192-lgG saporin will be used in the transgenic rats to lesion the BF cholinergic neurons and we hypothesize that with both the BF cholinergic and HCRT neurons lost, the rats should have more sleep compared to single lesions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS052287-03
Application #
7356357
Study Section
Biological Rhythms and Sleep Study Section (BRS)
Program Officer
Mitler, Merrill
Project Start
2006-03-01
Project End
2011-02-28
Budget Start
2008-03-01
Budget End
2009-02-28
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$281,833
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
047006379
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Liu, Meng; Blanco-Centurion, Carlos; Shiromani, Priyattam J (2017) Rewiring brain circuits to block cataplexy in murine models of narcolepsy. Curr Opin Neurobiol 44:110-115
Shiromani, Priyattam J; Peever, John H (2017) New Neuroscience Tools That Are Identifying the Sleep-Wake Circuit. Sleep 40:
Liu, Meng; Blanco-Centurion, Carlos; Konadhode, Roda Rani et al. (2016) Orexin gene transfer into the amygdala suppresses both spontaneous and emotion-induced cataplexy in orexin-knockout mice. Eur J Neurosci 43:681-8
Konadhode, Roda Rani; Pelluru, Dheeraj; Shiromani, Priyattam J (2016) Unihemispheric Sleep: An Enigma for Current Models of Sleep-Wake Regulation. Sleep 39:491-4
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Blanco-Centurion, Carlos; Liu, Meng; Konadhode, Roda P et al. (2016) Optogenetic activation of melanin-concentrating hormone neurons increases non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep during the night in rats. Eur J Neurosci 44:2846-2857
Pava, Matthew J; den Hartog, Carolina R; Blanco-Centurion, Carlos et al. (2014) Endocannabinoid modulation of cortical up-states and NREM sleep. PLoS One 9:e88672
Konadhode, Roda Rani; Pelluru, Dheeraj; Shiromani, Priyattam J (2014) Neurons containing orexin or melanin concentrating hormone reciprocally regulate wake and sleep. Front Syst Neurosci 8:244
Blanco-Centurion, Carlos; Liu, Meng; Konadhode, RodaRani et al. (2013) Effects of orexin gene transfer in the dorsolateral pons in orexin knockout mice. Sleep 36:31-40
Konadhode, Roda Rani; Pelluru, Dheeraj; Blanco-Centurion, Carlos et al. (2013) Optogenetic stimulation of MCH neurons increases sleep. J Neurosci 33:10257-63

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