Study for the neuronal mechanisms in sleep/wake regulation by specific ablation of the noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus

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We made a specific lesion of the noradrenergic (NA) neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC) by applying immnotoxin to the transgenic mice expressing the alpha-subunit of human interleukin-2 receptor. During both light period and dark period, duration of each bout of wakefulness decreased and number of wakefulness increased in the NA-LC-ablated mice. In response to the sound stimuli applied during sleep, the occurrence probability of EEG desynchronization, the sign of wakefulness, was unchanged, while that of transient EMG activity with short latency was increased in the NA-LC-ablated mice. These results suggest that the NA-LC neurons have a role to maintain or stabilize the state of wakefulness.