PubMed 19066908
Referenced in: none
Automatically associated channels: Kir6.2
Title: Study of GABAA receptors on the sleep-like behavior in Coturnix japonica (Temminck Schlegel, 1849) (Galliformes: Aves).
Authors: Patrícia Almeida Polo, André Souza Mecawi, Marco Antonio Pires Camilo Lapa, Wellington Silva Côrtes, Luis Carlos Reis
Journal, date & volume: J. Comp. Physiol. A Neuroethol. Sens. Neural. Behav. Physiol., 2009 Mar , 195, 247-52
PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19066908
Abstract
The present study was carried out to investigate the influence of GABAA signaling on sleep-like behaviors through systemic administration of bicuculline and picrotoxin (GABAA antagonists) and thiopental (an allosterical modulator). A thiopental (20 mg/kg) injection increased the eye closure frequency compared to the control group. The birds quickly became sleepy with a low frequency of early behavioral stages, such as rapid oral movement (ROM), feather ruffling and blinking. A bicuculline administration (1 and 4 mg/kg) did not modify the frequency of feather ruffling, ROM, eye closure or blinking responses. A lower dose of picrotoxin (2 mg/kg) stimulated an active awakening status, while an intermediate dose (4 mg/kg) elicited a moderate awakening status, which was associated with an increase in the frequency of ROM, blinking and eye closure. At the higher dose (8 mg/kg), the birds exhibited thermoregulatory-like behaviors and convulsions immediately after the injection. Interestingly, picrotoxin (4 mg/kg) intensified the eye closures when given in combination with thiopental (20 mg/kg). Both barbiturate and picrotoxin-induced sleep-like responses have the same behavioral neuropharmacological properties, conceivably because they are correlated with action at an identical site on the GABAA receptor.