Skip to main content
. 2023 Aug 22;17:1230428. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1230428

TABLE 2.

Summary of studies that investigated the role of MCH system in sleep-wake regulation.

Experiment Species Effect on wakefulness Effect on NREM sleep Effect on REM sleep References
Acute ICV infusion of MCH Rats (Sprague-Dawley) Decreased in wake amounts Increased in NREM amounts Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Verret et al., 2003
Microinjection of MCH DRN Rats (Wistar) Decreased in wake amounts Moderate increase in the NREM amounts Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Lagos et al., 2009
MnR Rats (Wistar) Decreased in wake amounts No significant change in NREM amounts Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Pascovich et al., 2021
LC Rats (Wistar) No significant change in wake amounts No significant change in NREM amounts Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Monti et al., 2015
BF Rats (Wistar) Decreased in wake amounts during the first 2-h post-injection No significant change in NREM amounts Increased in REM amounts during the first 2-h post-injection
Increased in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Lagos et al., 2012
NPO Cats Decreased in wake amounts during the first hour post-injection No significant change in NREM amounts Increased in REM amounts during the first hour post-injection
No change in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Decreased in the latency to REM
Torterolo et al., 2009
SLD Rats (Wistar) No significant changes in wake amounts No significant change in NREM amounts Decreased in REM amounts during the first and the second 2-h post-injection
Decreased in the number of REM bouts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Increased in the latency to REM
Monti et al., 2016
VLPO Rats (Wistar) Decreased in wake amounts during 4–5 h block post-injection
Decreased in the duration of Wake bouts
Increased in NREM amounts No change in REM amounts Benedetto et al., 2013
Pharmacological blockade of MCH-R1 Subcutaneous administration Rats (Sprague Dawley) Increased in wake amounts
Increased in the number of wake bouts
Moderate increase in the duration of Wake bouts at the higher dose
Decreased in NREM amounts
Decreased in the duration of NREM bouts
Decreased in REM amounts
Decreased in the number of REM bouts
Decreased in the duration of REM bouts at the higher dose
Ahnaou et al., 2008
Oral administration No change in wake parameters No change in NREM parameters No change in REM parameters Able et al., 2009
MCH1-receptors deletion Transgenic mice (Mch1r–/) No change in wake parameters
No change in NREM parameters
Increased in REM amounts during light period
Increased in the number of REM bouts during the light period
Adamantidis et al., 2008
Increased in wake amounts
Increased in the duration of wake bouts
No change in the number of wake bouts
Increased in wake amounts under restraint stress condition
Decreased in NREM amounts
Decreased in the duration of NREM bouts
No change in the number of NREM bouts
Decreased in NREM amounts under restraint stress condition
No change in REM parameters
Decreased in REM amounts under restraint stress condition
Ahnaou et al., 2011
Mch gene knockout Transgenic mice (Mch–/–) Increased in wake amounts
Increased in the duration of wake bouts
Increased in wake amounts under fasting condition during both light and dark phase
Increased in the duration of wake bouts during both light and dark phase
Decreased in NREM amounts
Decreased in NREM amounts under fasting condition during both light and dark phase
Decreased in REM amounts
Massive decrease in REM amounts under fasting condition during both light and dark phase
Decreased in the duration of REM bouts under fasting condition during both light and dark phase
Willie et al., 2008
In vivo electrophysiology
(Unit recordings of MCHergic neurons)
Rats (long-Evans) MCHergic neurons not firing MCHergic neurons fired occasionally MCHergic neurons fired maximally Hassani et al., 2009
Optogenetic manipulation of MCH neurons Acute activation of MCH neurons at the onset of NREM Transgenic mice (Pmch-Cre) No change in the duration of NREM bouts
Increased in the transition from NREM-to-REM
Jego et al., 2013
Acute activation of MCH neurons at the onset of REM Increased in the duration of REM bouts
Inhibition of MCH neurons at the onset of REM No changes Decreased in the frequency and amplitude of REM theta power
Acute activation of MCH neurons MCH-tTA; TetO ChR2
bigenic mice
No change in wake amounts
Increased in the number of wake bouts
Decreased in NREM amounts
Decreased in the duration of NREM bouts
Increased in the number of NREM bouts
Increased in the transition from NREM-to-REM
Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the number of REM bouts
Tsunematsu et al., 2014
Acute inhibition of MCH neurons MCH-tTA; TetO ArchT
bigenic mice
No changes No changes No changes
Chronic activation of MCH neurons C57BL/6J mice Decreased in wake amounts during dark phase
Decreased in the duration of wake bouts
Increased in NREM amounts during dark phase
No change in the duration of NREM bouts
Increased in NREM delta power
Increased in REM amounts during dark phase
No change in the duration of REM bouts
No change in REM theta power
Konadhode et al., 2013
Rats (long-evans) Deceased in wake amounts during dark phase
Deceased in the number of wake long bouts (> 32 min) during both day and night phases
Increased in NREM amounts during dark phase
Increased in the number of NREM short bouts during both day and night phases
Increased in NREM delta power during day phase
Increased in REM amounts during both dark and day phases
Increased in the number of REM short bouts during both day and night phases
Increased in REM theta power during both night and day phases
Blanco-Centurion et al., 2016
Pharmacogenetic manipulation of MCH neurons Chemoactivation (0.3 mg/Kg CNO) Transgenic mice (MCH-Cre) No changes No changes Increased in REM amounts during both day and night phases
Increased in the number of REM bouts during both day and night phases
No change in the duration of REM bouts
Vetrivelan et al., 2016
Chemoactivation (0.5 mg/Kg CNO) Transgenic mice (Pmch-Cre) Deceased in NREM amounts
Decreased in the duration of NREM bouts
Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the duration of REM bouts
Varin et al., 2018
Chemoinhibition
(5 mg/Kg CNO)
Increased in NREM amounts
Increased in the duration of NREM bouts
Deceased in REM amounts
No change in the duration of REM bouts
MCH neurons ablation Transgenic mice (MCH-Cre/ + ; iDTR) Decreased in the duration of wake bouts during the day phase No changes Increased in REM amounts
Increased in the number of REM bouts during the day phase
Vetrivelan et al., 2016
MCH-tTA; TetO DTA
bigenic mice
Increased in wake amounts during both light and dark phases
No change in the duration of wake bouts during both light and dark phases
Decreased in NREM amounts during both light and dark phases
Decreased in the duration of NREM bouts during the dark phase
No change on EEG power during NREM
No change in REM amounts in both light and dark phases
No change on EEG power during REM
Tsunematsu et al., 2014
Transgenic mice (MCH/ataxin-3) No change in wake amounts No change in NREM amounts Increase in REM amounts only during the light phase Varin et al., 2016
Deep brain imaging Transgenic mice (MCH-Cre) The activity of MCH neurons began to increase during the transition from NREM to REM Dynamic activation of MCH neurons during REM sleep and exploratory behavior Blanco-Centurion et al., 2019
Fiber photometry Transgenic mice (MCH-Cre) Moderate increase in the activity of MCH neurons The activity of MCH neurons significantly increased during transitions from NREM to REM and from NREM to Wake Increased in the activity of MCH neurons
The activity of MCH neurons deceased during the transition from REM to Wake
Izawa et al., 2019