The role of the somatotropic axis in sleep regulation was studied by using the lit/lit mouse with nonfunctional growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptors (GHRH-Rs) and control heterozygous C57BL/6J mice, which have a normal phenotype. During the light period, the lit/lit mice displayed significantly less spontaneous rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) and non-REMS (NREMS) than the cont...

................................................................................................................................. 5 LIST OF ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS........................................................................... 11 ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 13 INTRODUCTION...........

Parathyroid hormone receptors are present in bone cells and play a crucial role in the maintenance of skeletal integrity, bone homeostasis and regulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism. Although the function of these receptors has long being recognized in the cells of the osteoblastic lineage regulating directly osteoblast differentiation and function and indirectly osteoclastogenesis, rec...