title: Food restriction alters the diurnal distribution of sleep in rats.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of restricting food and water intake to the light period on sleep and brain temperature (Tbr). Sprague-Dawley male rats were anesthetized and provided with electrodes and thermistors for electroencephalographic (EEG) and Tbr recordings. Baseline recordings were performed after a 3-week recovery period. After baseline recordings, access to food and water was restricted (FWR) to the light period for 29 days. During FWR, the diurnal distribution of rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) and Tbr were reversed, while the distribution of non-REMS (NREMS) between the dark and light periods was attenuated. Daily food and water intake, body weight, and the diurnal distribution of EEG slow-wave activity within NREMS remained unchanged. In a separate study, sham-operated and pinealectomized rats were studied in a similar manner. The sleep responses of pinealectomized and sham-operated rats to FWR were similar. Further, FWR did not affect melatonin levels in the sham-operated rats, thereby suggesting that the pineal gland does not mediate the effects of FWR on sleep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roky
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kapás
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Taishi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Krueger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004326:Drinking / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D014868:Water Deprivation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin