Sleep patterns in the genetically obese Zucker rat: effect of acarbose treatment

Sleep patterns were continuously recorded in the genetically obese Zucker rat. Under normal feeding conditions, Zucker rats showed large amounts of slow-wave sleep (SWS) and normal amounts of pardoxical sleep (PS). In addition, both SWS and PS were equally distributed throughout the nychthemeron. When acarbose (an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that slows absorption of glucose, reduces plasma insulin, and increases plasma somatostatin) was added to food pellets, the daily duration of SWS was markedly decreased, whereas PS was significantly increased. These results clearly show that sleep in the Zucker rat differs substantially from that classically observed in normal lean rats. In addition, they suggest that anomalies of insulin and somatostatin production and/or levels may cause the sleep disturbances observed in Zucker rats.