Muramyl Peptide-Enhanced Sleep: Pharmacological Optimization of Performance
Abstract
The broad objective of this research is to develop the information needed to ascertain whether muramyl peptides (MPs) and/or other endogenous sleep factors (SFs) may be useful as somnogenic agents. Several SFs have been identified that may be involved in the cascade of biomedical events involved in regulation of sleep, e.g. interleukin-1 (IL1). Thus, we think it possible that new more effective somnogenic agents could be developed using MPs and/or other putative SFs. In the second year of this contract six experiments were performed: MP somnogenic activity relationships were determined. The preoptic area (POA) of the brain has been implicated in sleep regulation. Relationships between sleep and infectious disease are examined. Staphylococcus aureus greatly altered rabbit sleep patterns over the course of the infections. Endotoxin and its lipid A moiety are components of gram-negative bacteria that share with MPs the ability to induce increased IL1 production. Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (aMSH), proopiomelanocortin-derived peptide which acts as a physiological inhibitor of some of IL1 actions, inhibited normal sleep and also antagonized IL1-enhanced sleep.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA205974
Entities
People
- James M. Krueger
Organizations
- University of Tennessee