Sleep-wakefulness in alcohol preferring and non-preferring rats following binge alcohol administration.
The alcohol-preferring (P) rat is a valid animal model of alcoholism. However, the effect of alcohol on sleep in P or alcohol non-preferring (NP) rats is unknown. Since alcohol consumption has tremendous impact on sleep, the present study compared the effects of binge alcohol administration on sleep-wakefulness in P and NP rats. Using standard surgical procedures, the P and NP rats were bilaterally implanted with sleep recording electrodes. Following post-operative recovery and habituation, pre-ethanol (baseline) sleep-wakefulness was electrographically recorded for 48 h. Subsequently, ethanol was administered beginning with a priming dose of 5 g/Kg followed by two doses of 2 g/Kg every 8 h on the first day and three doses of 3 g/Kg/8 h on the second day. On the following day (post-ethanol), undisturbed sleep-wakefulness was electrographically recorded for 24 h. Our initial results suggest that, during baseline conditions, the time spent in each of the three behavioral states: wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and REM sleep, was comparable between P and NP rats. However, the P rats were more susceptible to changes in sleep-wakefulness following 2 days of binge ethanol treatment. As compared to NP rats, the P rats displayed insomnia like symptoms including a significant reduction in the amount of time spent in NREM sleep coupled with a significant increase in wakefulness on post-ethanol day. Subsequent analysis revealed that binge ethanol induced increased wakefulness and reduced NREM sleep in P rats occurred mainly in the dark period. This is the first study that: (1) demonstrates spontaneous sleep-wake profile in P and NP rats, and (2) compares the effects of binge ethanol treatment on sleep in P and NP rats. Our results suggest that, as compared to NP rats, the P rats were more susceptible to sleep disruptions after binge ethanol treatment. In addition, the P rats exhibited insomnia-like symptoms observed during abstinence from alcohol in human subjects.
Thakkar
M M
MM
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201-5297,USA. thakkarmm@health.missouri.edu
Engemann
S C
SC
Sharma
R
R
Mohan
R R
RR
Sahota
P
P
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects / Q000379:methods; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
D000431:Ethanol