title: Hypoxia-induced sleep disturbance in rats.
abstract: The effects of varying degrees of hypoxia on sleep-wake organization were studied in rats prepared for chronic electrophysiological recording. The influence of Piracetam (75, 50, and 500 mg/kg, i.p.) and Hydergine (0.5, 1, and 3 mg/kg, i.p.) on sleep-wake organization in 10.5% oxygen was also investigated. The sleep-wake organization of rats under the effect of 15.5% oxygen content was unchanged, compared to that of normoxic control. More extreme hypoxia (12.6 and 10.5% oxygen) produced dramatic changes in sleep organization without influencing gross behavior. Paradoxical sleep (PS) stages became less frequent and shortened and were totally absent in 10.5% oxygen. Frequent wakings caused disturbed and superficial sleep. Central biochemical mechanisms, peripheral chemoreceptor reflex pathways and, as a consequence, decrease of duration of deep sleep periods, may contribute to the development of hypoxic sleep disturbances. Piracetam alleviated and Hydergine moderately reversed the hypoxic sleep disturbance.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Works of Gedeon Richter Ltd., Pharmacological Research Centre, Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laszy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarkadi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004088:Dihydroergotoxine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D010889:Piracetam / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D004088:Dihydroergotoxine; D010889:Piracetam