title: Essential roles of GABA transporter-1 in controlling rapid eye movement sleep and in increased slow wave activity after sleep deprivation.
abstract: GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system that has been strongly implicated in the regulation of sleep. GABA transporter subtype 1 (GAT1) constructs high affinity reuptake sites for GABA and regulates GABAergic transmission in the brain. However, the role of GAT1 in sleep-wake regulation remains elusive. In the current study, we characterized the spontaneous sleep-wake cycle and responses to sleep deprivation in GAT1 knock-out (KO) mice. GAT1 KO mice exhibited dominant theta-activity and a remarkable reduction of EEG power in low frequencies across all vigilance stages. Under baseline conditions, spontaneous rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of KO mice was elevated both during the light and dark periods, and non-REM (NREM) sleep was reduced during the light period only. KO mice also showed more state transitions from NREM to REM sleep and from REM sleep to wakefulness, as well as more number of REM and NREM sleep bouts than WT mice. During the dark period, KO mice exhibited more REM sleep bouts only. Six hours of sleep deprivation induced rebound increases in NREM and REM sleep in both genotypes. However, slow wave activity, the intensity component of NREM sleep was briefly elevated in WT mice but remained completely unchanged in KO mice, compared with their respective baselines. These results indicate that GAT1 plays a critical role in the regulation of REM sleep and homeostasis of NREM sleep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Min-Juan
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urade
authors.forename: Zhi-Li
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004569:Electroencephalography; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins