This research was designed to identify whether Gastrodiae Rhizoma ethanol extract (GREE) enhances pentobarbital-induced sleep\nvia ????-aminobutyric acid- (GABA-) ergic systems and modulated sleep architectures in animals. GREE (25, 50, and 100mg/kg, p.o.)\ninhibited locomotor activity in mice, in a dose-dependent manner. GREE not only prolonged total sleep time, but also reduced\nsleep latency time in pentobarbital (42mg/kg)-treated mice. Subhypnotic pentobarbital (28mg/kg, i.p.) also increased the number\nof total sleeping animals in concomitant administration of GREE. GREE (100mg/kg) alone reduced the count of sleep-wake\ncycles in electroencephalogram. Furthermore, GREE increased total sleep time and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. From the in\nvitro experiments, GREE increased intracellular chloride level in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells. Protein expressions of\nglutamine acid decarboxylase (GAD) andGABAA receptors subtypes bywestern blotwere increased. Therefore, our study suggested\nthat GREE enhances pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors and increased REM via the activation of GABAA-ergic transmission\nin rodents.
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