title: Heart rate variability during carbachol-induced REM sleep and cataplexy.
abstract: The nucleus pontis oralis (NPO) exerts an executive control over REM sleep. Cholinergic input to the NPO is critical for REM sleep generation. In the cat, a single microinjection of carbachol (a cholinergic agonist) into the NPO produces either REM sleep (REMc) or wakefulness with muscle atonia (cataplexy, CA). In order to study the central control of the heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep, we conducted polysomnographic and electrocardiogram recordings from chronically prepared cats during REMc, CA as well as during sleep and wakefulness. Subsequently, we performed statistical and spectral analyses of the HRV. The heart rate was greater during CA compared to REMc, NREM or REM sleep. Spectral analysis revealed that the low frequency band (LF) power was significantly higher during REM sleep in comparison to REMc and CA. Furthermore, we found that during CA there was a decrease in coupling between the RR intervals plot (tachogram) and respiratory activity. In contrast, compared to natural behavioral states, during REMc and CA there were no significant differences in the HRV based upon the standard deviation of normal RR intervals (SDNN) and the mean squared difference of successive intervals (rMSSD). In conclusion, there were differences in the HRV during naturally-occurring REM sleep compared to REMc. In addition, in spite of the same muscle atonia, the HRV was different during REMc and CA. Therefore, the neuronal network that controls the HRV during REM sleep can be dissociated from the one that generates the muscle atonia during this state.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Sueño, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: ptortero@fmed.edu.uy.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torterolo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Sueño, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castro-Zaballa
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Sueño, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Matías
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Sueño, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Velasquez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiología Cardiovascular, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brando
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Sueño, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Atilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falconi
authors.affiliation: WebSciences International and UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chase
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiología Cardiovascular, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Eduardo R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Migliaro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002385:Cataplexy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002415:Cats; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D065821:Pontine Tegmentum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D018679:Cholinergic Agonists; D002217:Carbachol
keywords: Autonomic system; Cholinergic; HRV; Narcolepsy; Reticular formation