TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Atenolol on Nocturnal Sleep and Temperature in young Men
T2 - Reversal by Pharmacological Doses of Melatonin
AU - Van Den Heuvel, Cameron J.
AU - Reid, Kathryn J.
AU - Dawson, Drew
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Worksafe Australia, and the Australian Government Employees' Medical Research Fund. Thanks to Helen Hayes for help in collecting data in Study 1 and Dr. David Kennaway and Shawn Rowe for 6s-aMT assays in Study 2.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1997/6
Y1 - 1997/6
N2 - To examine the physiological role of melatonin in sleep, nocturnal melatonin secretion was suppressed using 100 mg oral atenolol in two studies. In Study 1, nocturnal sleep was recorded in 8 young men over 4 nights. Subjects received atenolol on one of the last 2 nights and showed significantly increased total wake time (TWT) and wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO), as well as decreased REM sleep and slow-wave sleep (SWS). When melatonin (total 5 mg) was given after atenolol on the other night, the changes in TWT, WASO, REM, and SWS were reversed. In Study 2, sleep onset latencies (SOL) and core temperature (Tc) of 10 young men were measured for 3 nonconsecutive nights. In a cross-over design, atenolol given on one night significantly suppressed urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (6s-aMT) production and increased hourly measures of Tc and SOL relative to baseline night values. Oral melatonin (3 mg), administered after atenolol, reversed the changes in Tc and SOL. These results suggest that endogenous melatonin may assist in the maintenance of normal sleep architecture (Study 1) and also increase nocturnal sleep propensity by hypothermic effects (Study 2).
AB - To examine the physiological role of melatonin in sleep, nocturnal melatonin secretion was suppressed using 100 mg oral atenolol in two studies. In Study 1, nocturnal sleep was recorded in 8 young men over 4 nights. Subjects received atenolol on one of the last 2 nights and showed significantly increased total wake time (TWT) and wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO), as well as decreased REM sleep and slow-wave sleep (SWS). When melatonin (total 5 mg) was given after atenolol on the other night, the changes in TWT, WASO, REM, and SWS were reversed. In Study 2, sleep onset latencies (SOL) and core temperature (Tc) of 10 young men were measured for 3 nonconsecutive nights. In a cross-over design, atenolol given on one night significantly suppressed urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (6s-aMT) production and increased hourly measures of Tc and SOL relative to baseline night values. Oral melatonin (3 mg), administered after atenolol, reversed the changes in Tc and SOL. These results suggest that endogenous melatonin may assist in the maintenance of normal sleep architecture (Study 1) and also increase nocturnal sleep propensity by hypothermic effects (Study 2).
KW - Atenolol
KW - Core temperature
KW - Melatonin
KW - Sleep
KW - Sleep onset latency
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U2 - 10.1016/S0031-9384(96)00534-3
DO - 10.1016/S0031-9384(96)00534-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 9177549
AN - SCOPUS:0030914787
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 61
SP - 795
EP - 802
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 6
ER -