title: Calcium/calmodulin kinase II in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus modulates the initiation and maintenance of wakefulness.
abstract: The pedunculopontine tegmentum nucleus (PPT) is critically involved in the regulation of wakefulness (W) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but our understanding of the mechanisms of this regulation remains incomplete. The present study was designed to determine the role of PPT intracellular calcium/calmodulin kinase (CaMKII) signaling in the regulation of W and sleep. To achieve this aim, three different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 nmol) of the CaMKII activation inhibitor, KN-93, were microinjected bilaterally (100 nl/site) into the PPT of freely moving rats, and the effects on W, slow-wave sleep (SWS), REM sleep, and levels of phosphorylated CaMKII (pCaMKII) expression in the PPT were quantified. These effects, which were concentration-dependent and affected wake-sleep variables for 3 h, resulted in decreased W, due to reductions in the number and duration of W episodes; increased SWS and REM sleep, due to increases in episode duration; and decreased levels of pCaMKII expression in the PPT. Regression analyses revealed that PPT levels of pCaMKII were positively related with the total percentage of time spent in W (R(2) = 0.864; n = 28 rats; p < 0.001) and negatively related with the total percentage of time spent in sleep (R(2) = 0.863; p < 0.001). These data provide the first direct evidence that activation of intracellular CaMKII signaling in the PPT promotes W and suppresses sleep. These findings are relevant for designing a drug that could treat excessive sleepiness by promoting alertness.
authors: Laboratory of Sleep and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA. Subimal@bu.edu
authors: Subimal
authors: S
authors: Datta
authors: Matthew W
authors: MW
authors: O'Malley
authors: Elissa H
authors: EH
authors: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D045042:Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides
chemical_list: D001596:Benzylamines; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D013449:Sulfonamides; C072105:KN 93; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides