Long-lasting enhancement of rapid eye movement sleep and pontogeniculooccipital waves by vasoactive intestinal peptide microinjection into the amygdala temporal lobe.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of a vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) microinjection into the amygdaloid central (CN) and basal nuclei (BN) on sleep organization and on the number and pattern of occurrence of pontogeniculooccipital (PGO) waves was analyzed.


METHODS
One group of 8 cats was studied in baseline conditions and after the microinjection of two doses of VIP applied into the CN and BN.


METHODS
Sleep research laboratory. PARTCIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Eight cats were prepared with sleep-recording electrodes and with guide tubes in both amygdalae for saline and VIP microinjections. Neuropeptide doses of 0.10 microg/1 microl (30 microM) and 0.33 microg/1 microl (99.24 microM) were employed.


RESULTS
Once the microinjection was applied, 23-hour polygraphic sleep recordings were performed for 5 consecutive days. Concomitantly the PGO waves were tape-recorded on each day and computationally analyzed. Results show that the 0.10 microg/1 microl microinjection produced no change. Unilateral VIP 0.33 microg/1 microl injection into the CN provoked a significant and lasting increase in the percentage of slow-wave sleep with PGO waves. Bilateral application of VIP increased the percentage of slow-wave sleep with PGO waves and rapid eye movement sleep for 5 days. Bilateral microinjection of the neuropeptide into the BN only enhanced the percentage of slow wave sleep with PGO waves. For both amygdaloid nuclei, we observed that VIP increased the number and modified the PGO wave pattern of occurrence during slow-wave sleep with PGO waves and during rapid eye movement sleep.


CONCLUSIONS
The VIP microinjection into both the CN and BN induces increased amounts of rapid eye movement sleep, PGO waves, and slow-wave sleep with PGO waves, having a more robust effect on all of these three variables when applied into the CN.
Division de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Departamento de Cronobiología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria Ramón de la Fuente, Tlalpan, Mexico, D.F.
Karina
K
Simón-Arceo
Ignacio
I
Ramírez-Salado
José M
JM
Calvo
D000679:Amygdala; D000818:Animals; D002217:Carbachol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002415:Cats; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections / Q000379:methods*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects*; D011149:Pons / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects*; D013702:Temporal Lobe; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects*
D018679:Cholinergic Agonists; D002217:Carbachol