The effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the sleep parameters of the rat pups.

In order to verify the hypothesis that at least during perinatal life the amount of active sleep (AS) is dependent on the level of the brain maturation, newborn rats received by an i.p. route for 6 days, a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) preparation (Vitamin F) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 mg/day. In comparison with diluent alone injected controls, the PUFAs-injected animals presented a decrease in the AS percentage, decrease which was proportional with the dose. In parallel, it was noted a dose-dependent increase in mortality from 10% for 1 to 90% for 100 mg of PUFAs. We concluded that the PUFAs which greatly stimulate the synaptogenesis, enhance the release of a membrane component with a strong AS inhibiting effect, and, at least during perinatal life, the AS could be modulated by this factors and not by the classical neurotransmitters.