OBJECTIVETo review the current evidence that links smoking to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to discuss some potential mechanisms proposed for these links.

DATA SOURCESWe searched PubMed and Medline to identify studies investigating the interaction between smoking and OSA.

STUDY SELECTIONArticles regarding the relationship between smoking and OSA were selected. Studies considered smoking as a confounding factor were excluded.

RESULTSThe association of smoking and OSA has been confirmed in several studies. The effects of smoking on the pathophysiology of OSA may include smoking-induced upper airway inflammation, stimulant effects of nicotine on upper airway muscles, and a "rebound effect" due to nightly short-term nicotine withdrawal, or all of the above. In addition, the coexistence of OSA and smoking may have more widespread implications for cardiovascular dysfunction in patients with OSA. Finally, OSA might be responsible for the addiction to nicotine.

CONCLUSIONSSmoking may act as a risk factor for OSA and join with OSA in a common pathway to increase the risk of systematic injury. OSA, in turn, may be a predisposing factor for smoking. Thus, smoking cessation is recommended when considering treatment for OSA, and treating OSA may be a necessary precondition for successful smoking cessation.

Asthma ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Bronchi ; drug effects ; Humans ; Nicotine ; pharmacology ; Risk Factors ; Sleep ; physiology ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Tobacco Use Disorder ; epidemiology ; etiology

This study is to investigate the sedative and hypnotic effects of a novel compound H1208. The sedative activity of H1208 was investigated by recording the spontaneous locomotor activity of mice. The hypnotic property was evaluated by the latency and duration of sleep (loss of righting reflex) in mice and the effect of hypnotics on sleep pattern of electroencephalogram were studied in conscious, freely moving mice with chronically implanted electrodes. The brain monoamine neurotransmitters levels in mice were measured by high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection. The spontaneous locomotor activity was decreased by 56.7% and 80.2% in H1208 (5 and 25 mg x kg(-1), ip) treated mice, respectively. The loss of righting reflex was directly induced in mice after H1208 (60 mg x kg(-1), ip) administration. The non-rapid eye movement sleep increased significantly by 131% and 259%, respectively, within 3 hours after H1208 (30 and 60 mg x kg(-1), ip) administration. However, the rapid eye movement sleep decreased significantly. The contents of DA in the striatum and cortex and 5-HT in the cortex decreased significantly. These results demonstrated that H1208 has potent sedative and hypnotic effects, which may be closely related to the decreased contents of DA and 5-HT in mouse brain.
Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; physiology ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Electroencephalography ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Motor Activity ; drug effects ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Sleep ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo observe the role of NB127914, a CRF R1 receptor antagonist, in the regulation of neonatal sleep/wake cycle.

METHODSRat pups were surgically implanted with electrodes at postnatal day(PN) 13. At PN 14, 6 hours polysomnographic recording data were continuously collected before and after administration of various doses of NBI 27914, atropine and the same amount of saline.

RESULTSCompared with baseline, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was significantly reduced and was replaced primarily by non-REM (NREM) sleep in all groups treated with NBI, but not with dimethyl sulfoxide/saline. Atropine suppressed REM sleep significantly and increased wakefulness simultaneously.

CONCLUSIONBlockage of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) R1 receptors deprives neonatal rat REM sleep.

Aniline Compounds ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Polysomnography ; Pyrimidines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Sleep, REM ; drug effects ; physiology ; Wakefulness ; drug effects ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo assess the biological effects of the six-herb mixture Anti-Insomia Formula (AIF) extract using caffeine-induced insomnia Drosophila model and short-sleep mutants.

METHODSCaffeineinduced insomnia wild-type Drosophila and short-sleep mutant flies minisleep (mns) and Hyperkinetic(Y) (Hk(Y)) were used to assess the hypnotic effects of the AIF in vivo. The night time activity, the amount of night time sleep and the number of sleep bouts were determined using Drosophila activity monitoring system. Sleep was defined as any period of uninterrupted behavioral immobility (0 count per minute) lasting > 5 min. Night time sleep was calculated by summing up the sleep time in the dark period. Number of sleep bouts was calculated by counting the number of sleep episodes in the dark period.

RESULTSAIF at the dosage of 50 mg/mL, effectively attenuated caffeine-induced wakefulness (P<0.01) in wild-type Canton-S flies as indicated by the reduction of the sleep bouts, night time activities and increase of the amount of night time sleep. AIF also significantly reduced sleeping time of short-sleep Hk(Y) mutant flies (P<0.01). However, AIF did not produce similar effect in mns mutants.

CONCLUSIONAIF might be able to rescue the abnormal condition caused by mutated modulatory subunit of the tetrameric potassium channel, but not rescuing the abnormal nerve firing caused by Shaker gene mutation. This study provides the scientific evidence to support the use of AIF in Chinese medicine for promoting sleep quality in insomnia.

Animals ; Caffeine ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drosophila melanogaster ; drug effects ; physiology ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Mutation ; genetics ; Potassium Channels ; genetics ; Sleep ; drug effects ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; drug therapy ; Wakefulness ; drug effects

BACKGROUNDMany patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have complicated with hypertension and may be prescribed with antihypertension medications to control their blood pressure. But whether antihypertension medications can also decrease arterial stiffness or control the blood pressure increasing following obstructive events is not well described. This study aimed to investigate whether antihypertensive medications can ameliorate the changes in arterial stiffness and blood pressure associated with OSA.

METHODSSixty-one OSAS patients [13 women, 48 men, mean age (53.4 +/- 12.3) years], 26 normotensive patients (N), 7 hypertensive patients on no antihypertension medications (H), and 28 hypertensive patients on various combination antihypertension therapy (HM), were prospectively diagnosed with standard nocturnal polysomnography. Beat-to-beat blood pressure was continuously recorded from the radial artery by applanation tonometry during baseline sleep. As a measure of arterial stiffness, arterial augmentation index (AAI) was calculated as the ratio of augmented systolic blood pressure (SBP) to pulse pressure and expressed as a percentage for the following conditions: awakening, the first 10 ("early apnea") and last 10 ("late apnea") cardiac cycles of obstructive events (apnea or hypopnea), and the first 15 cardiac cycles following event termination ("post apnea") for all events with nadir O2 saturation

RESULTSSystolic blood pressure (SBP) post-apnea [(142.74 +/- 13.06) mmHg (N), (137.06 +/- 26.56) mmHg (H), (136.94 +/- 14.1) mmHg (HM)] was significantly increased from awakening [(135.76 +/- 14.76) mmHg (N), (135.58 +/- 23.17) mmHg (H), (129.77 +/- 14.00) mmHg (HM)], early apnea [(130.53 +/- 12.65) mmHg (N), (124.47 +/- 24.97) mmHg (H), (126.04 +/- 13.12) mmHg (HM)], and late apnea [(129.8 +/- 12.68) mmHg (N), (124.78 +/- 25.15) mmHg (H), (124.48 +/- 13.82) mmHg (HM)] respectively (P < 0.001, repeated measures ANOVA). AAI was significantly increased for the N group (P < 0.001) from awakening to late apnea [(10.45 +/- 2.62)% vs (14.43 +/- 3.21)%] and from early apnea to late apnea [(10.61 +/- 2.34)% vs (14.43 +/- 3.21)%], and also for H group (P < 0.05) from awakening to late apnea [(11.23 +/- 3.87)% vs (16.32 +/- 8.02)%] and from early apnea to late apnea [(11.75 +/- 3.79)% vs (16.32 +/- 8.02)%]. Meanwhile, no significant differences in AAI among awakening, early apnea, late apnea, and post-apnea conditions were found in HM group.

CONCLUSIONSThe current data demonstrate that systemic blood pressure increases significantly during the post-apneic phase of OSAS, compared with that during awakening and intra-apnea phases even with the use of combined antihypertensive therapy which could normalize BP during awakening in the hypertensive patients. However, increases in arterial stiffness during obstructive events could be ameliorated by combined antihypertension medications.

Adult ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Arteries ; drug effects ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Regression Analysis ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

Brain ; physiology ; Child ; Dyssomnias ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Sleep ; drug effects ; Vitamin D ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; complications ; drug therapy ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo study the central pharmacological effect of the water and chloroform-extract compounds from C. chinese in mice.

METHODThe independent activity test and the hypnotic synergism test by sub-threshold hypnotic dosage of pentobarbital were employed to evaluate the central pharmacological effect of the extract-compounds, and the minimal neurotoxicity was evaluated by the rotorod test.

RESULTthe extract-compounds exhibited significant dose-related inhibition effect of the spontaneous motor activity in mice after intraperitoneal administration. And the two extract-compounds promoted the hypnotic effect by sub-threshold hypnotic dosage administration of pentobarbital, and produced ED50 value of 2.36 g kg (-1) and 0.75 g kg(-1), respectively. Also, both extract-compounds showed no neurotoxicity in the experiment.

CONCLUSIONThe extract compounds from C. chinese showed inhibitional effect on CNS.

Animals ; Central Nervous System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Chloroform ; Cynanchum ; chemistry ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Female ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Motor Activity ; drug effects ; Pentobarbital ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Sleep ; drug effects ; Water

To investigate the efficacy and safety of desmopressin in patients with mixed nocturia, Patients aged > or =18 yr with mixed nocturia (> or =2 voids/night and a nocturnal polyuria index [NPi] >33% and a nocturnal bladder capacity index [NBCi] >1) were recruited. The optimum dose of oral desmopressin was determined during a 3-week dose-titration period and the determined dose was maintained for 4 weeks. The efficacy was assessed by the frequency-volume charts and the sleep questionnaire. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a 50% or greater reduction in the number of nocturnal voids (NV) compared with baseline. Among 103 patients enrolled, 94 (79 men and 15 women) were included in the analysis. The proportion of patients with a 50% or greater reduction in NV was 68 (72%). The mean number of NV decreased significantly (3.20 to 1.34) and the mean nocturnal urine volume, nocturia index, NPi, and NBCi decreased significantly. The mean duration of sleep until the first NV was prolonged from 118.4+/-44.1 to 220.3+/-90.7 min (P<0.001). The overall impression of patients about their quality of sleep improved. Adverse events occurred in 6 patients, including one asymptomatic hyponatremia. Desmopressin is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for mixed nocturia.
Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antidiuretic Agents/*administration & dosage ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin/*administration & dosage ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nocturia/complications/*drug therapy ; Polyuria/complications/*drug therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Questionnaires ; Sleep/drug effects/physiology ; Urinary Bladder/*physiopathology ; Urodynamics/physiology