Cocaine-induced neural adaptations in the lateral hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone neurons and the role in regulating rapid eye movement sleep after withdrawal.

ABSTRACT: Sleep abnormalities are often a prominent contributor to withdrawal symptoms following chronic drug use. Notably, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep regulates emotional memory, and persistent REM sleep impairment after cocaine withdrawal negatively impacts relapse-like behaviors in rats. However, it is not understood how cocaine experience may alter REM sleep regulatory machinery, and what may serve to improve REM sleep after withdrawal. Here, we focus on the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), which regulate REM sleep initiation and maintenance. Using adult male Sprague-Dawley rats trained to self-administer intravenous cocaine, we did transcriptome profiling of LH MCH neurons after long-term withdrawal using RNA-sequencing, and performed functional a

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8060355 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature