Triazolam fails to induce sleep in suprachiasmatic nucleus-lesioned rats.
Rats with suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) lesions did not show increased sleep after triazolam (TRZ) injections at any dose from 0.2 to 1.6 mg/kg, whereas 0.4 mg/kg TRZ given intact rats in the middle of their activity phase significantly increased sleep. Across SCN-lesioned and intact rats, the amount of sleep before and after TRZ 0.4 mg/kg was negatively correlated. SCN-lesioned rats did not have a circadian activity-dominant period and so did not accumulate a biological sleep debt. Their lack of response to TRZ may have resulted from the absence of a sleep debt compared to intact rats injected in the middle of their activity phase. These data support our hypothesis that the homeostatic process controlling sleep gates benzodiazepine hypnotic efficacy.
Edgar
D M
DM
Sleep Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304.
Seidel
W F
WF
Martin
C E
CE
Sayeski
P P
PP
Dement
W C
WC
D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011846:Radio Waves; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D014229:Triazolam / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014229:Triazolam