title: Modifications of the cerebral electric activity induced by the intracerebroventricular injection of acetyl-L-carnitine in cats.
abstract: The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of acetyl-L-carnitine in the freely moving cat, during a spontaneous synchronous phase of sleep, induced the animal's arousal and a delay of the subsequent appearance of desynchronized sleep. The entity of such effects was dose dependent. The i.c.v. but not the intravenous injection of the drug proved capable of inducing a desynchronization of the characteristically synchronous electroencephalogram of an animal with a brainstem section at intercollicular midbrain level (cerveau isolé preparation), thus suggesting that the action of acetyl-L-carnitine could be exerted at a diencephalic level. Acetyl-L-carnitine could therefore modulate the sleep-wake cycle, thus facilitating the desynchronizing systems of cerebral electric activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Physiology II, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imeri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giglio
mesh_terms: D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002415:Cats; D003655:Decerebrate State; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000108:Acetylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine