An anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody suppresses sleep in rats and rabbits.
It is hypothesized that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is an endogenous sleep-promoting substance. In the present experiments we studied the effects of a monoclonal anti-TNF antibody in rats and rabbits. Seven rats and 14 rabbits were implanted with electroencephalographic electrodes, a brain thermistor and an intracerebroventricular guide cannula. The animals were injected with saline, control IgG, and monoclonal hamster anti-murine-TNF antibodies (TNFab) on 3 separate days. Ten micrograms TNFab suppressed non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS) in rats. In rabbits, 2.5 micrograms TNFab did not affect sleep but decreased brain temperature; in contrast, 25 micrograms TNFab suppressed NREMS without affecting brain temperature. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that endogenous TNF plays an important role in sleep regulation.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38163, USA.
S
S
Takahashi
L
L
Kapás
J
J
Fang
J M
JM
Krueger
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D006224:Cricetinae; D004569:Electroencephalography; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha