C. Maudhuit et al., REDUCED INHIBITORY POTENCY OF SEROTONIN REUPTAKE BLOCKERS ON CENTRAL SEROTONINERGIC NEURONS IN RATS SELECTIVELY DEPRIVED OF RAPID EYE-MOVEMENT SLEEP, Biological psychiatry, 40(10), 1996, pp. 1000-1007
Previous studies showed that chronic deprivation of rapid eye movement
(REM) sleep had the same behavioral effects as antidepressant drugs i
n helpless rats. Since long-term treatment with antidepressants is kno
wn to affect central serotoninergic neurotransmission, we investigated
whether REM sleep deprivation also exerts an influence on the activit
y of seratoninergic neurons within the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in r
ats. REM sleep deprivation,cas performed using the platform technique.
Recording of seratoninergic neurons in the DRN revealed no difference
in the basal firing rate, but a reduced inhibitory response to the se
lective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake blockers cericlamine and citalopram
after repeated but not acute REM sleep deprivation. These observations
suggest that REM sleep deprivation renders serotoninergic DRN neurons
less sensitive to the inhibitory effect of 5-HT reuptake blockers, pr
obably because of functional desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT1A
autoreceptors, like that previously reported after chronic treatment
with several antidepressants. Accordingly, REM sleep deprivation might
alleviate depression through neurophysiological mechanisms similar to
those induced by antidepressants. (C) 1996 Society of Biological Psyc
hiatry