Effects of pertussis toxin, dibutyryl-cyclic-AMP, bromo-cyclic-AMP and forskolin on the behavioural and electrocortical power spectrum changes induced by microinfusion of interleukin-2 into the locus coeruleus.

Human recombinant interleukin-2 and rat recombinant IL-2 microinjected into the locus coeruleus of rats, induced typical dose-dependent behavioural sedation and/or sleep and electrocortical synchronization. During sleep induced by this lymphokine a dose-dependent increase in total voltage power (0.25-16 Hz) as well as in the 0.25-3, 3-6 and 6-9 Hz frequency bands was observed. The behavioural and electrocortical effects of interleukin-2 were blocked in animals pretreated with anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibodies and with naloxone, whereas they were still evident in rats pretreated with yohimbine. In addition, the behavioural and electrocortical slow-wave sleep effects observed after the administration of interleukin-2 into the locus coeruleus were reduced significantly or antagonized completely by a previous pretreatment with pertussis toxin, forskolin, dibutyryl-cyclic-AMP and 8-bromo-cyclic-AMP. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the behavioural and electrocortical changes of this lymphokine are mediated at locus coeruleus level via a guanine regulatory Gi protein coupling IL-2 specific receptors to the adenylate cyclase system.