Studies on the central nervous system actions of papaverine

✍ Scribed by V. Bauer; O. Kadlecová

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1972
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 539 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00422703

✦ Synopsis

In rats selectively deprived of desynchronized sleep papaverine (5.0 mg/ kg) prolonged the total duration of synchronized sleep and depressed the duration of total desynchronized sleep compared with non-deprived rats. The number of sleep cycles was not changed by the drug. Shortening of the individual desynchronized sleep phase and only a slight change in the individual cyclic synchronized sleep resulted in shortening of the individual sleep cycle. Shortly after papaverine (i.0 rag/ kg) administration in non-deprived animals synchronized EEG activity was observed. The final results were identical, but the sequence of events were different according to the phase in which the drug was administered. No statistically significant changes in whole brain monoamine content was observed after papaverine (5.0 rag/ kg) administration in both deprived and non-deprived rats. It is concluded, that the early effects of papaverine were due to the lowering of blood pressure and the possible role of central antinicotinic properties of papaverine in the longlasting sleep changes was discussed.