Hexobarbital sleeping time was observed in isolated and nonisolated rats with lesioned locus coeruleus (LC). Isolated animals were divided into 2 groups: aggressive (killers) and indifferent (nonkillers). Each group included rats with no lesion, with sham lesion and with LC lesion. Hexobarbital sleeping time was prolonged in nonisolated male, but not female, rats with lesioned LC (7 and 14 days after the lesion). This effect was not observed in animals previously isolated for 3 weeks. These results suggest that the LC plays an important role in the mechanisms of barbiturate sleep, but this effect may be related to the emotionality of animals.
Aggression Animals