Diazepam and midazolam increase light slow-wave sleep (SWS1) and decrease wakefulness in rats.
Rats implanted with electrodes for polygraphic recordings were injected with diazepam (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or midazolam (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and recorded for 6 h during the 8 h of darkness of a 16 h light/8 h dark cycle. The results show that administration of diazepam reduced SWS1 latency by 92%, and increased SWS1 and total sleep by 255% and 59%, respectively, in comparison to control. Administration of midazolam increased SWS1 by 158% and total sleep by 57% when compared to control. These findings correlate well with the effects of benzodiazepines on sleep stage 2 in humans and indicate that benzodiazepine hypnotics increase only the behaviorally lighter stage of SWS in rats as well as in human subjects.
D000818:Animals; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects
D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003975:Diazepam; D008874:Midazolam