Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Wake-Promoting Hypocretin–Orexin Neurons Are in an Intrinsic State of Membrane Depolarization

2003; Society for Neuroscience; Volume: 23; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1523/jneurosci.23-05-01557.2003

1529-2401

Emmanuel Eggermann, Laurence Bayer, Mauro Serafin, Benoı̂t Saint-Mleux, Laurent Bernheim, Danièle Machard, Barbara E. Jones, Michel Mühlethaler,

Regulation of Appetite and Obesity

Wakefulness depends on the activity of hypocretin-orexin neurons because their lesion results in narcolepsy. How these neurons maintain their activity to promote wakefulness is not known. Here, by recording for the first time from hypocretin-orexin neurons and comparing their properties with those of neurons expressing melanin-concentrating hormone, we show that hypocretin-orexin neurons are in an intrinsic state of membrane depolarization that promotes their spontaneous activity. We propose that wakefulness and associated energy expenditure thus depend on that property, which allows the hypocretin-orexin neurons to maintain a tonic excitatory influence on the central arousal and peripheral sympathetic systems.