Activation of locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons rapidly drives homeostatic sleep pressure

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Homeostatic sleep regulation is essential for optimizing the amount and timing of sleep for its revitalizing function, but the mechanism underlying sleep homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here, we show that optogenetic activation of locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons immediately increased sleep propensity following a transient wakefulness, contrasting with many other arousal-promoting neurons whose activation induces sustained wakefulness. Fiber photometry showed that repeated optogenetic or sensory stimulation caused a rapid reduction of calcium activity in LC neurons and steep declines in noradrenaline/norepinephrine (NE) release in both the LC and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Knockdown of α 2 A adrenergic receptors in LC neurons mitigated the decline of NE release induced by repetitive stimulation and extended wakefulness, demonstrating an important role of α 2 A receptor–mediated auto-suppression of NE release. Together, these results suggest that functional fatigue of LC noradrenergic neurons, which reduces their wake-promoting capacity, contributes to sleep pressure.

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