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Regulatory effect of ventral tegmental area on sleep-wakefulness in rats

Zhang Wenhui, Qian Zhaoxia, Wang Haihong, Cai Kui, Lin Yinli

Department of Physiology, Shanghai Second Medical University. Shanghai 200025

Abstract

Experiments were performed on 31 male SD rats. The results were as follows: (1)The time of waking was increased during the second and third hours after microinjection of 3.3 and 6.6 nmol bromocriptine into bilateral VTA (P<0.01), but the 1.33 nmol the second and third hours after microinjection of 2 and 4 nmol SCH23390 into VTA (P<0.01 and P<0.05 respectively), while 3,4 nmol sulpiride group was with--out effect. (3) One week after administration of kainic acid (0.3#mu#g), the rats presented less time of waking in the day (P<0.05), while sellp--wakefulness cycle at night showed no change. The resulsts suggest that bromocriptine could increase wakefulness by activating VTA DA neurons via D_(1) receptor and that the DA neurons might exert a tonic effect for maintaining the wakefulness at the daytime.

Key words: Ventral tegmental area;Sleep-wakefulness cycle;Microinjection;Dopamine neuron;Bromocriptine;Kainic acid

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Citing This Article：

Zhang Wenhui, Qian Zhaoxia, Wang Haihong, Cai Kui, Lin Yinli. Regulatory effect of ventral tegmental area on sleep-wakefulness in rats. Acta Physiol Sin 1995; 47 (2): (in Chinese with English abstract).