Human hypocretin and melanin-concentrating hormone levels are linked to emotion and social interaction

The neurochemical changes underlying human emotions and social behaviour are largely unknown. Here we report on the changes in the levels of two hypothalamic neuropeptides, hypocretin-1 and melanin-concentrating hormone, measured in the human amygdala. We show that hypocretin-1 levels are maximal du...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2013, Vol.4 (1), p.1547-1547, Article 1547
Main Authors: Blouin, Ashley M, Fried, Itzhak, Wilson, Charles L, Staba, Richard J, Behnke, Eric J, Lam, Hoa A, Maidment, Nigel T, Karlsson, Karl Æ, Lapierre, Jennifer L, Siegel, Jerome M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Amygdala - metabolism
Animals
Behavior
Brain research
Electrodes, Implanted
Emotions
Emotions - physiology
Eye movements
Female
Humans
Hypothalamic Hormones - metabolism
Hypothalamus
Hypothalamus - metabolism
Interpersonal Relations
Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism
Male
Melanins - metabolism
Microdialysis
Middle Aged
Neuropeptides - metabolism
Neurosciences
Orexins
Pain
Peptides
Pituitary Hormones - metabolism
Rats
Sleep
Sleep - physiology
Social interaction
Time Factors
Wakefulness - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:The neurochemical changes underlying human emotions and social behaviour are largely unknown. Here we report on the changes in the levels of two hypothalamic neuropeptides, hypocretin-1 and melanin-concentrating hormone, measured in the human amygdala. We show that hypocretin-1 levels are maximal during positive emotion, social interaction and anger, behaviours that induce cataplexy in human narcoleptics. In contrast, melanin-concentrating hormone levels are minimal during social interaction, but are increased after eating. Both peptides are at minimal levels during periods of postoperative pain despite high levels of arousal. Melanin-concentrating hormone levels increase at sleep onset, consistent with a role in sleep induction, whereas hypocretin-1 levels increase at wake onset, consistent with a role in wake induction. Levels of these two peptides in humans are not simply linked to arousal, but rather to specific emotions and state transitions. Other arousal systems may be similarly emotionally specialized.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/ncomms2461