Narcoleptic-like alterations of the sleep cycle in cats induced by a specific vasotocin antiserum.

A specific arginine vasotocin (AVT) antiserum (10 microliter) injected undiluted into the lateral ventricle of unanesthetized cats, induced sleep onset REM periods, markedly increased the number of REM periods, and dramatically decreased REM sleep latency. The amount of total REM sleep significantly increased and the amount of total NREM sleep significantly decreased. Neither a specific arginine vasopressin or oxytocin antiserum nor a normal rabbit serum injected undiluted into the lateral ventricle in the same volume (10 microliter) was able to reproduce the effects of the AVT antiserum. It is concluded that pineal AVT is physiologically involved in the induction and/or circadian organization of REM sleep.