Zee Phyllis C
Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Postgrad Med. 2004 Dec;116(6 Suppl Primary):10-3. doi: 10.3810/pgm.12.2004.suppl39.265.
Sleep and wakefulness result from a complex process. Melatonin plays a role in the sleep process by binding to receptors that inhibit the firing rate of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This action, in turn, may help promote sleep. Multiple melatonin receptors have been discovered, and information about individual receptor function continues to grow. Elucidating information about receptor function may provide clues for new drugs that may act on specific receptors to aid patients with sleep disorders.
睡眠和清醒是一个复杂的过程。褪黑素通过与抑制视交叉上核中神经元放电频率的受体结合，在睡眠过程中发挥作用。反过来，这种作用可能有助于促进睡眠。已经发现了多种褪黑素受体，并且关于单个受体功能的信息也在不断增加。阐明受体功能的信息可能为新药提供线索，这些新药可能作用于特定受体以帮助患有睡眠障碍的患者。
