Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023380 (lethargy)
 5,697 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In order to evaluate the effect of a specific alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, atipamezole, on vigilance, adult cats with implanted electrodes for polygraphy were tested in a double-blind Latin square design. The standard clinical dose (0.1 mg/kg i.m.) of the specific alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, medetomidine, promptly induced stuporous sedation. Atipamezole, given 30 min later at 0.2, 0.4 or 0.8 mg/kg i.m., reversed the sedation within 3 min, resulting in complete awareness of the animal. After the small dose of atipamezole, arousal with some motor excitation continued for 6 h, whereas after the larger doses, the physiological sleep-wake cycle returned earlier. Used alone, the preferred dose, 0.4 mg/kg atipamezole i.m., allowed physiological sleep within 33 +/- 9 min, compared to 22 +/- 3 min after saline. Atipamezole thus proved to be a most effective antagonist to sedation with alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist drugs, without disturbing excitatory effects. Specific alpha 2-adrenoceptor modulating drugs have evident clinical application, as antidotes to overdosage of alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists, or to terminate their effect after surgical procedures.
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PMID:Alpha 2-adrenoceptors and vigilance in cats: antagonism of medetomidine sedation by atipamezole. 810 8