Subcutaneous administration of nicotine changes dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons discharge rate during REM sleep

Brain Res. 2001 Jan 12;888(2):321-325. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(00)03104-8.

Abstract

In the present study nicotine (0.1 mg/kg, s.c.) increased discharge rate of putative dorsal raphe (DRN) serotonergic neurons of behaving rats during REM sleep (362.61%), without any significant change during waking and non-REM sleep. Since serotonergic DRN neurons gate PGO onset, these results suggest that nicotine-induced suppression of PGO spikes during REM sleep previously reported is achieved through stimulation of dorsal raphe serotonergic cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / drug effects
  • Animals
  • Electrodes, Implanted
  • Electroencephalography / drug effects
  • Electromyography
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Neurons / classification
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / drug effects*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Nicotine / administration & dosage*
  • Raphe Nuclei / cytology
  • Raphe Nuclei / drug effects*
  • Raphe Nuclei / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Sleep, REM / drug effects*
  • Sleep, REM / physiology
  • Wakefulness / drug effects

Substances

  • Serotonin
  • Nicotine