Project Summary

Pingfu Feng, M.D., Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2004) of Case Western Reserve University, plans to study a class of neurons, called orexinergic, involved in sleep behavior in rats. Sleep disturbance is one of the major symptoms in human major depression and adult rats subjected to maternal deprivation (MD) display alterations similar to human depression. Orexinergic neurons have been shown to suppress corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH)-induced ACTH production, suppress REM sleep and promote wakefulness, which affect the successive slow wake sleep. In the study, Dr. Feng proposes to determine the pathological alterations of sleep/wake states and alterations in orexin A and B and their receptors in multiple brain regions in the rat model of MD. Neonatal rats will be separated from their mothers for 6h/day for 10 days after the fourth day of their birth. Rats will be sleep recorded for 48 hours at age 3-4 months. Brain levels of orexins and orexin receptors in these rats will be determined. Results may help in understanding the pathological alterations of sleep states and the role of the orexinergic system in depression.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Unipolar Depression

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