Modulation by prostaglandins of activity of sleep-related neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic areas in rats.
Using head-restrained unanesthetized rats, we examined the effects of ionophoretically applied prostaglandin (PG) D2 and PGE2 on the activity of neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic areas that were classified according to the activity change across sleep-wakefulness cycles. About 24% (84/345) of the neurons had a higher firing rate during slow wave sleep than during wakefulness (S-neurons), and about 14% (47/345) were more active during wakefulness than during slow wave sleep (W-neurons). PGD2 had an excitatory effect on about one-third of the S-neurons examined, while a similar percentage of W-neurons were excited by PGE2. These results suggest that PGD2 and PGE2, influencing sleep-related neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamic areas, are key substances underlying the regulation of sleep and wakefulness.
Koyama
Y
Y
Osaka Bioscience Institute, Suita, Japan.
Hayaishi
O
O
D000818:Animals; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004576:Electromyography / Q000187:drug effects; D007032:Hypothalamus, Anterior / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D007478:Iontophoresis; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D015230:Prostaglandin D2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects
D011453:Prostaglandins; D015232:Dinoprostone; D015230:Prostaglandin D2