How intestinal clock shapes sleep-wake cycle

 How circadian system may time homeostatic processes related to sleep-wake regulation is unknown.

The researchers demonstrate in this study that intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) integrity is required for maintenance of the diurnal sleep-wake cycle. 

They also show that in IECs, BMAL1 generates diurnal rhythmic SLC6A19 expression that promotes the sleep-wake cycle by gating rhythmic glutamine absorption, which modulates hypothalamic glutamatergic neuron activity.

This gut-brain metabolic pathway highlights the intestine as a key timekeeper for sleep behavior and a potential target for treating sleep disorders.

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(25)00444-9

https://sciencemission.com/Intestinal-clock-shapes-sleep-wake-cycle