Endocannabinoids and sleep

Abstract

Introduction Anecdotal information indicates that marihuana is anxiolytic and sleep inducer. We isolated an endocannabinoid, endogenous agonist of the CB1, from sleep-deprived cats; hence we believe endocannabinoids are sleep modulators. The objective of this series of studies is to describe the role of endocannabinoids in the modulation of sleep. Materials and methods Adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. Some of these rats were subjected to maternal care deprivation for 3 h from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND16. Then utilized when adults. All rats were implanted with a set of electrode for standard sleep recording. Some were additionally implanted with a couple of cannulae aiming at the lateral ventricle. These cannulae were used to administer S1820, PAR1 agonist, 2 arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) CB1 agonists and AM251 antagonists and tetrahydrolipstatine (THL) DGL Inhibitor. Results The activation of the PAR1 receptor increases sleep, in particular REM sleep. CB1 antagonist AM251 and THL prevent this effect The administration of 2-AG into the lateral hypothalamus increases the activation of MCH neurons and increases REM sleep. Oleamide restores NREM and REM sleep in maternal care deprived rats. Conclusion Our results suggest the endocannabinoid system is playing a crucial role in modulating sleep, in particular REM sleep. Acknowledgements Supported by Grants IN220712 fron DGAPA-UNAM, 129103 fron CONACyT and Fundacion Miguel Aleman to OPG.