title: Effects of sertindole on sleep-wake states, electroencephalogram, behavioral patterns, and epileptic activity of rats.
abstract: In this study we addressed the effects of the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist sertindole in rats. The compound was administered in doses of 0.08, 0.32, and 1.28 mg/kg, whereas a control group received the solvent. The effects of sertindole on sleep-wake states, behavioral patterns, and background electroencephalogram were studied. Following injection of drug or solvent, we recorded the electroencephalogram and electromyogram for two periods of 4 h in the dark period of the light-dark cycle on 2 successive days. On the 1st day sertindole induced a significant increase in deep slow-wave sleep, but only with a dose of 0.32 mg/kg. Furthermore, a decrease in REM sleep in all three drug groups was established. The suppression of REM sleep was still present on the 2nd day. Sertindole also induced a decrease in alternation between behavioral patterns on the 1st day. There were no significant changes in the spectral content of the background electroencephalogram. In a parallel experiment it appeared that sertindole had no main effects on epileptic spike-wave discharges. This was established with a dose of 1.28 mg/kg sertindole in rats with absence seizures. These findings suggest that sertindole, similar to other compounds modulating 5-HT2 receptors, influences sleep-wake states in rats by decreasing REM sleep and mildly increasing deep slow-wave sleep, whereas behavioral variation is slightly diminished, with no effects on the background EEG and almost no effects on spike-wave discharges.
authors.affiliation: NICI, Department of Psychology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Coenen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ates
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skarsfeldt
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: van Luijtelaar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D004576:Electromyography; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D007211:Indoles; C066304:sertindole