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Melanin-Concentrating Hormone and Sleep pp 149–170Cite as

Melanin-Concentrating Hormone: Role in Nursing and Sleep in Mother Rats

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Abstract

In mammals, the postpartum female undergoes the most important physiological and behavioral changes in life, which allow orchestrating two essential behaviors for survival: nursing and sleep. Although the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is mainly found within the posterolateral hypothalamus and incerto-hypothalamic area, during lactation this neuropeptide is also expressed in the preoptic area (POA). Remarkably, this brain area controls key components not only of the maternal behavior repertoire but also is involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. In this sense, when MCH is microinjected into the POA, this neuropeptide is capable to reduce the motivational aspects of maternal behavior in postpartum rats while increases sleep in male rats. This effect seems to oppose to one of the dopaminergic systems that promotes wakefulness while in postpartum rats stimulates motivational components of maternal behavior. How the MCHergic system controls maternal behavior and sleep within the POA is still an unresolved question.

In this chapter, we provide neuroanatomical and neurochemical evidences showing that MCHergic and dopaminergic systems interact within the medial POA (mPOA) to regulate maternal behavior and sleep. We suggest that the interplay among these and other neurotransmitter/neuromodulators modulates mother’s physiology and behavior assuring not only pups’ nutrition and development but also the mother’s needs for rest and sleep during this highly demanding period of life. Finally, we discuss some useful directions for future research and some issues yet to be explored.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Luciana Benedetto & Pablo Torterolo

  2. Facultad de Ciencias, Sección de Fisiología y Nutrición, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Annabel Ferreira

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  1. Luciana Benedetto
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  2. Pablo Torterolo
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  3. Annabel Ferreira
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Correspondence to Luciana Benedetto .

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  1. Somnogen Canada Inc. , Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    S. R. Pandi-Perumal

  2. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Pablo Torterolo

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine Clinics Hospital, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Jaime M. Monti

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Benedetto, L., Torterolo, P., Ferreira, A. (2018). Melanin-Concentrating Hormone: Role in Nursing and Sleep in Mother Rats. In: Pandi-Perumal, S., Torterolo, P., Monti, J. (eds) Melanin-Concentrating Hormone and Sleep . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75765-0_9

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