The immune system alters mammalian circadian clock gene expression, perhaps explaining why fatigue accompanies some infections and autoimmune diseases, according to a study in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors found that a protein involved in mammalian immunity interferes with circadian clock gene expression and promotes sleep in mice."The study certainly provides a framework within which to address the question of how immunomodulators affect both the timing and the quantity or quality of sleep," said Mark Opp of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the study.The immune response to microbial infection activates pro-inflammatory molecules such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Previous work has suggested that TNF-α causes lethargy and fatigue in people with cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and sleep apnea. Animal studies have also shown that TNF-α enhances sleep, but the mechanism has remained...
clock James Krueger Interacting loopsPeriodOther workPeriodThe Scientistin vitroin vitroPeriodAdriano FontanaThe ScientistVincent CassonePeriodmail@the-scientist.comThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/12992/PNAShttp://www.pnas.orgThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/2004/2/16/24/1/http://www.med.umich.edu/anesresearch/opp.htmCell http://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/16497588Journal of the National Cancer Institute http://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/3411618Rheumatology (Oxford) http://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/16449363Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismhttp://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/15356039Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/12794042The Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/13096/http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/research_vcapp/krueger/krueger.aspCell http://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/2507418Nature Reviews Molecular and Cell Biology http://www.the-scientist.com/pubmed/11413490http://www.neuroscience.unizh.ch/e/groups/fontan00.htmhttp://www.bio.tamu.edu/FACMENU/FACULTY/CassoneV.htm
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