Effects of hypophysectomy on the sleep of neonatally monosodium glutamate-treated rats.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), known to induce neuronal cell degeneration of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, was subcutaneously injected (4 mg/g body wt.) at postnatal days 1 to 5 or 1 to 10 in female rats. Hypophysectomy was performed at 45-60 days of age. Sleep parameters were continuously recorded for at least 7 days. Results indicated that hypophysectomized (HYPX) NaCl-treated rats showed an increase of Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) (+29.6%) and a decrease of Paradoxical Sleep (PS) (-36.7%) durations. In MSG-treated rats, hypophysectomy did not alter SWS durations but it increased PS durations as MSG dosing increased. It was concluded that arcuate nucleus neurons seemed to be not critically involved in sleep production mechanisms.