Tumor necrosis factor-beta induces sleep, fever, and anorexia.

Abstract

The enhanced sleep, fever, and anorexia experienced during general infections are attributed to the increased production of cytokines. Cytokines such as interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) have characteristic somnogenic, pyrogenic, and anorectic effects. TNF-beta is closely related to TNF-alpha, and they share common receptors. The effects of TNF-beta on sleep-wake activity, brain temperature (Tbr), and food intake were, however, heretofore unknown. We injected 0.5-200 ng TNF-beta into rabbits intracerebroventricularly (icv) in the light period, and the electroencephalogram, movement, and Tbr were recorded for 6 h from rabbits. The highest dose, 200 ng TNF-beta, induced increases in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep and decreases in rapid-eye-movement sleep accompanied with biphasic febrile responses. Icv injection of 100 ng TNF-beta at dark onset suppressed 12-h and 24-h food intake in rats. These data suggest to us that TNF-beta may belong to the group of endogenous pyrogens/sleep factors.

• Authors: L Kapás, J M Krueger
• Journal: The American journal of physiology (Am J Physiol) Vol. 263 Issue 3 Pt 2 Pg. R703-7 (Sep 1992) ISSN: 0002-9513 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1415661 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Lymphotoxin-alpha

Topics

• Animals
• Anorexia (chemically induced)
• Body Temperature (drug effects)
• Brain (drug effects, physiology)
• Darkness
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Eating (drug effects)
• Fever (chemically induced)
• Injections, Intraventricular
• Lymphotoxin-alpha (pharmacology)
• Male
• Rabbits
• Sleep (drug effects)
• Sleep, REM (drug effects)
• Time Factors