Pentylenetetrazole kindling affects sleep in rats.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to define sleep disturbances in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled rats and to explore the effects of the nootropic drug piracetam (Pir; 100 mg/kg) and the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-antagonist MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg), which normalized learning performance in PTZ-kindled rats, on altered sleep parameters.


METHODS
This is the first report showing a significant reduction in paradoxical sleep (PS) as a consequence of PTZ kindling. A correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between seizure severity and PS deficit.


RESULTS
Pir did not interfere with seizure severity, and the substance did not ameliorate the PS deficit. However, the substance disconnected the correlation between seizure severity and PS deficit. MK-801, which reduced the severity of kindled seizures, counteracted the PS deficit efficaciously.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that seizure severity and alterations in sleep architecture are two factors in the comprehensive network underlying learning impairments associated with epilepsy. Considering the results obtained in the experiments with Pir, reduction of seizure severity does not guarantee the reduction of impairments in the domain of learning.
Schilling
Markus
M
O.-v.-Guericke University Magdeburg, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Magdeburg, Germany.
Wetzel
Wolfram
W
Grecksch
Gisela
G
Becker
Axel
A
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003292:Convulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004576:Electromyography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D003292:Convulsants; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D010889:Piracetam