[Comparative neurochemical and physiological characteristics of catalepsy-like rest and sleep]

In vertebrates (excluding mammals), the rest is presented also by a special functional condition of the catalepsy type. In hens, its total duration is higher in the day-time, than in the twilight; it is completely absent at night. This natural condition in hens may be imitated by photogenic catalepsy which is developed in response to rhythmic illumination of animals. Cytospectrophotometric investigation of single cells of the supraoptic nucleus indicates that with respect to absence of changes in absolute content (per 1 cell) of protein in the neurons cataleptiform rest in hens does not differ from the sleep in rats. However, in contrast to sleep this immobilization is associated with the decrease of RNA content of the neurons, as well as with the absence of accumulation of proteins and RNA in gliocytes. During cataleptiform rest, insiginficant changes were found in the content of proteins and RNA in cells of ectomammilar nucleus of the additional optic system and thalamic round nucleus. Cataleptiform (photogenic) immobilization in hens is presumably a metabolically passive form of rest as compared to the sleep in rats, which is characterized by anabolic processes in the brain.