Credit: Yang Dan lab/UC Berkeley
Sleep is known to increase the release of growth hormone, which helps build muscle and bone and burn fat, but exactly how this happens was unknown. A new study from the lab of HWNI member Yang Dan and collaborators, published in Cell, has now revealed the neural circuit that controls growth hormone release during sleep in mice.
The researchers discovered how specific types of neurons in the hypothalamus of the brain regulate growth hormone release across the sleep-wake cycle, and the neural circuitry involved. They also identified a feedback mechanism involving the brainstem that keeps growth hormone levels balanced and increases wakefulness. By describing this circuit, this study could lead to new approaches for restoring growth hormone balance and treating sleep disorders.
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