Anxiolytic and sedative effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) are thought to involve inhibition
of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Enhanced secretion of CRH plays a critical
role in the pathophysiology of major depression, characterized by sleep disturbances,
anxiety and loss of appetite. We examined for the first time in young men effects
of intravenous injections of NPY (4x50 or 100 microg, n = 9 and 11, respectively,
at 22.00, 23.00, 24. 00 and 01.00 compared to saline) on the sleep electroencephalogram
(EEG; recorded from 23.00 to 07.00) and nocturnal secretion of adrenocorticotrophic
hormone (ACTH), cortisol, growth hormone (GH), prolactin and leptin. Repeated measures
MANOVA showed that ACTH secretion during the first half of the night was reduced by
the lower dose of NPY only (F = 8.7, p<0.05), while cortisol secretion during the
second half of the night was reduced regardless of the dose (F = 7.9, p<0.05). Regardless
of the dose, NPY enhanced sleep period time and stage 2 sleep (F = 12.8 and 5.4, each
p<0.05), and also reduced sleep latency and time awake (F = 4.9 and 4.4, each p<0.05)
and modulated REM sleep. In summary, NPY promotes sleep and inhibits the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical
(HPA) axis in humans, pointing to a possible role of NPY agonists for the development
of novel treatment strategies for affective disorders.