AJP - Endo Fuel your research with LabChart
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 271: E763-E772, 1996;
0193-1849/96 $5.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lancel, M.
Right arrow Articles by Rupprecht, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lancel, M.
Right arrow Articles by Rupprecht, R.

AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 271, Issue 4 E763-E772, Copyright © 1996 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Progesterone induces changes in sleep comparable to those of agonistic GABAA receptor modulators

M. Lancel, J. Faulhaber, F. Holsboer and R. Rupprecht
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute, Munich, Germany.

There is much evidence that progesterone has hypnotic anesthetic properties. In this vehicle-controlled study, we examined the effects of three doses of progesterone (30, 90, and 180 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally at light onset on sleep in rats. Progesterone dose dependently shortened non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) latency, lengthened rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) latency, decreased the amount of wakefulness and REMS, and markedly increased pre-REMS, an intermediate state between NREMS and REMS. Progesterone also elicited dose-related changes in sleep state-specific electroencephalogram (EEG) power densities. Within NREMS, EEG activity was reduced in the lower frequencies (< or = 7 Hz) and was enhanced in the higher frequencies. Within REMS, EEG activity was markedly enhanced in the higher frequencies. The effects were maximal during the first postinjection hours. The concentrations of progesterone and the progesterone metabolites 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-pregnan-20-one, both positive allosteric modulators of gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors, were determined at different time intervals after vehicle and 30 or 90 mg/kg progesterone. Progesterone administration resulted in dose-dependent initially supraphysiological elevations of progesterone and its metabolites in the plasma and brain, which were most prominent during the first hour postinjection. The effects of progesterone on sleep closely resemble those of agonistic modulators of GABAA receptors such as benzodiazepines and correlate well with the increases in the levels of its GABAA agonistic metabolites. These observations suggest that the hypnotic effects of progesterone are mediated by the facilitating action of its neuroactive metabolites on GABAA receptor functioning.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.Home page
M. Lancel, J. Faulhaber, T. Schiffelholz, E. Romeo, F. Di Michele, F. Holsboer, and R. Rupprecht
Allopregnanolone Affects Sleep in a Benzodiazepine-Like Fashion
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., September 1, 1997; 282(3): 1213 - 1218.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
A. Yamada, M. Yamada, Y. Fujita, T. Nishigami, K. Nakasho, and K. Uematsu
Self-augmentation Effect of Male-specific Products on Sexually Differentiated Progesterone Metabolism in Adult Male Rat Liver Microsomes
J. Biol. Chem., February 9, 2001; 276(7): 4604 - 4610.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online