Serotonin receptor activation in rats previously deprived of REM sleep.
Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior April 1, 1983 R Santos, E A Carlini 25 citations
Rats deprived of REM sleep for three days showed a stronger serotonin syndrome and more head shakes than control rats when given serotonin precursors (L-5-hydroxytryptophan or L-tryptophan, with or without MAO inhibitors). However, REM deprivation did not change the rats' response to the serotonin agonists MeO-DMT (0.75-6.0 mg/kg) or quipazine (2.4-6.0 mg/kg), and reduced their response to lower doses of quipazine (0.3-1.25 mg/kg). The findings suggest that increased serotonin turnover during REM deprivation may enhance precursor effects, while reduced responsiveness to quipazine may reflect receptor hyposensitivity from intense activation.