[Nitric oxide as a regulatory factor in sleep-wakefulness mechanisms].
Although several roles of neuronal nitric oxide (NO) have been suggested, the capacity of NO on sleep-wakefulness mechanisms is open to discussion. We examined the effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors on rat sleep using a microdialysis technique. When NOS inhibitor L-NAME was administrated at the central region of diencephalon, paradoxical sleep (PS) significantly increased coinciding with decrease of wakefulness in the dose-dependent manner. The effect of L-NAME on PS was completely reversed by L-arginine. Additionally, administration of NO donor NOC 18 at the action site of L-NAME completely inhibited sleep. Our results suggest that NO could play a role in the continuation of vigilance around the midline thalamic nuclei.
Tokunaga
Y
Y
Department of Anatomy, Shiga University of Medical Science.
Imai
S
S
Matsumura
H
H
Maeda
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013787:Thalamic Nuclei / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*
C093285:NOC 18; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester