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PubMed1983

Pharmacological characteristics of dopamine receptors involved in the dual effect of dopamine agonists on yawning behaviour in rats.

Increasing doses of apomorphine (APO) induced the dose-dependent appearance of yawns in rats at doses up to 0.1 mg X kg-1 and their disappearance from 0.1 to 0.6 mg X kg-1. A similar biphasic effect on yawning was observed with increasing doses of n-propyl norapomorphine, piribedil, S 584, bromocriptine, lergotrile, lisuride, CQ 32084 and L-DOPA. APO, n-propyl norapomorphine, piribedil and CQ 32084 had similar ED50 on the induction of sniffing and on the disappearance of yawns. All the neuroleptics tested antagonized the yawns induced by 0.1 mg X kg-1 APO. Increasing doses of haloperidol, chlorpromazine, mezilamine, metoclopramide and thioridazine made the yawns reappear in rats injected with 0.6 mg X kg-1 APO. The ID50 were similar to those for the antagonism of sniffing. On the other hand, increasing doses of clozapine, (+/-)- or (-)-sulpiride, veralipride and DAN 2163 did not make the yawns reappear in rats injected with 0.6 mg X kg-1 APO although sniffing was antagonized. These results are discussed in terms of the ability of sulpiride, veralipride and DAN 2163 to distinguish between the dopamine (DA) receptors involved in the appearance of yawns at low doses of DA agonists and in their disappearance at higher doses. The decreased APO-induced yawning observed concomitantly with increased sniffing in rats with 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned olfactory tubercles suggests that yawning and sniffing could be mutually exclusive.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Serotonergic and dopaminergic effects of yawning in the cat.

The serotonergic agents LSD (0.01-0.05 mg/kg) and lisuride (0.025 and 0.05 mg/kg) elicited a high frequency of limb flicking in the cat after IP doses; LSD, but not lisuride, elicited a significantly increased frequency of yawning as well. In combination, LSD plus lisuride (0.025 mg/kg each) gave additive frequencies of limb flicking, but the frequency of yawning was half that after LSD alone. The dopamine agonist apomorphine had no significant effect on either yawning or limb flicking over the dose range 0.006 to 3.2 mg/kg. Pretreatment of cats with 1.0 mg/kg of apomorphine (but not with 0.05 mg/kg) significantly reduced the frequency of yawning elicited by 0.01 or 0.025 mg/kg of LSD, but had no effect on limb flicking. The dopamine antagonist haloperidol had no effect on limb flicking at doses from 0.008 to 0.512 mg/kg, but produced a significantly increased frequency of yawning at 0.256 mg/kg, an effect antagonized by lisuride administration. Given that lisuride has more potent dopamine agonist properties than LSD, these results are consistent with serotonergic elicitation of yawning, dopaminergic inhibition of yawning, and with their concomitant interaction in the expression of drug-induced yawning in the cat. The behavioral pharmacologies of limb flicking and yawning are different in this species.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1980

Interaction of cholinergic and dopaminergic influences on yawning behavior.

The possible interaction between cholinergic and dopaminergic influences in the induction of yawning behavior in the rat is explored resorting to several experimental approaches: comparison of the ontogeny of yawning behavior induced by physostigmine (0.15 mg/kg) and apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg); simultaneous injection of both drugs; "crossed blocking" experiments, in which the action of the cholinomimetic agent is examined after injection of spiroperidol (0.05 mg/kg) and that of apomorphine after scopolamine (0.25 mg/kg). While physostigmine-elicited yawning is highest in early postnatal days and tends to decline from the 7th day onwards, reaching its lowest level around 3 wk, yawning induced by apomorphine begins around the 9th day and increases thereafter to a plateau that is reached in the third week. No synergism on yawning behavior is observed by simultaneous injection of optimal or suboptimal doses of physostigmine and apomorphine. Scopolamine blocks apomorphine-induced yawning; spiroperidol blocks apomorphine- but potentiates physostigmine-induced yawning, both in 15-day-old and young adult rats. Two 5-HT uptake blockers, citalopram (10-20 mg/kg) and fluoxetin (10-20 mg/kg) potentiate physostigmine - but not apomorphine-elicited yawning. On the basis of these results a tentative model of "in series" organization of dopaminergic and cholinergic influences on yawning behavior is proposed.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Possible involvement of differing classes of dopamine D-2 receptors in yawning and stereotypy in rats.

The present experiments were performed to investigate differences in the properties of the dopamine D-2 receptors related to yawning and stereotypy. Subcutaneous injection of talipexole (B-HT 920) (10-250 micrograms/kg) or SND 919 ((S)-2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-6-propylamino-benzothiazole) (25-500 micrograms/kg) evoked yawning behavior with bell-shaped responses. However, SK&F 38393 (1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-(1H)-3-benzazepine-7,8-diol) (0.5-10 mg/kg SC) did not elicit yawning and decreased yawning responses to low doses of talipexole (25 micrograms/kg SC) or SND 919 (100 micrograms/kg SC). These low but effective doses for inducing yawning of talipexole or SND 919 in combination with SK&F 38393 (0.5-10 mg/kg SC) did not elicit stereotypy. In contrast, yawning behavior was not produced after very high doses of talipexole (500 micrograms/kg SC) or SND 919 (1000 micrograms/kg SC) given alone or in combination with SK&F 38393 (0.5-10 mg/kg SC). These extremely high doses of talipexole or SND 919 evoked slight stereotypy, which was enhanced by the combined treatment with SK&F 38393. The present results suggest that the dopamine D-2 receptors related to yawning are more sensitive to dopamine receptor agonists than those related to stereotypy, and that concurrent stimulation of postsynaptic dopamine D-1 receptors with D-2 receptors reduces the incidence of yawning but enhances that of stereotypy.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗
PubMed1994

Effects of apomorphine, physostigmine and vasoactive intestinal peptide on penile erection and yawning in diabetic rats.

The present report describes for the first time the effects of systemic administration of apomorphine and of physostigmine, as well as the effects of central and systemic administration of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), on penile erection and yawning in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Systemic administration of apomorphine induced both penile erection and yawning in non-diabetic rats but not in diabetic rats, while that of physostigmine induced only yawning in non-diabetic rats, and neither yawning nor penile erection in diabetic rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of VIP induced both penile erection and yawning in non-diabetic rats, but neither was induced in diabetic rats. Application of VIP as an ointment to the surface of the glans penis induced penile erection but not yawning in both non-diabetic and diabetic rats. Thus, penile erection and yawning are less easily induced in diabetic rats than in non-diabetic rats. Grooming occurred whenever penile erection was induced, but was not associated with yawning.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1995

Apomorphine-induced yawning in the rat: influence of fasting and time of day.

Yawning behavior is an experimental tool to study physiological responses, to elucidate the mechanisms of action of some drugs and hormones, and it is also a paradigm for some diseases and for dopamine (DA) agonists' clinical use. In this study, the effects of 24- and 48-h fasting as well as the influence of the light-dark cycle on apomorphine (APO)-induced yawning were evaluated. Initially, control and 48-h-fasted adult male rats were tested for yawning induced by APO (50, 100, 150 micrograms/kg, SC). The most effective dose tested was 100 micrograms/kg. Fasting significantly lowered yawning in all doses tested. Comparison between 24- and 48-h-fasted rats for APO (100 micrograms/kg)-induced yawning showed no significant difference between groups. Ad lib-fed groups were tested for APO (100 micrograms/kg)-induced yawning in both the light and in the dark phases of the cycle. Total number of yawnings increased significantly in the dark period. The present data show that fasting reduces and dark period increases APO-induced yawning in rats, suggesting that these conditions modulate the expression of this behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Role of adrenergic neuronal activity in the yawning induced by tacrine and NIK-247 in rats.

The present experiments were performed to investigate the potential role of central adrenergic neurons in regulating occurrence of yawning in rats. Intraperitoneal injection of tacrine (THA) or 9-amino-2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-cyclopenta(b)-quinoline monohydrate HCl (NIK-247), cholinesterase inhibitors, induced yawning, which was markedly increased by pretreatment with the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, pindolol. The yawning evoked by tacrine or NIK-247 given alone or in combination with pindolol was inhibited by pretreatment with scopolamine but not by mecamylamine or spiperone. Treatment with tacrine or NIK-247 increased acetylcholine content of the striatum, but this effect was not enhanced by pindolol, which per se did not affect basal acetylcholine content. Moreover, pretreatment with the central adrenaline synthesis inhibitors, (+-)-2,3-dichloro-alpha-methylbenzylamine HCl (LY-78335) and 2-cyclooctyl-2-hydroxyethylamine HCl (UK-1187A), increased tacrine-induced yawning. Subcutaneous injection of talipexole (B-HT 920), a dopamine D2 receptor agonist, evoked yawning, which was also increased by pindolol, LY-78335, and UK-1187A. These receptors antagonists and synthesis inhibitors per se did not cause yawning responses. The results suggest that the beta-adrenoceptor blockade and the inhibition of adrenaline synthesis facilitate the occurrence of yawning induced by cholinergic and dopaminergic agonists, and thus the central adrenergic neuronal systems may be implicated in the regulation of yawning responses.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2001

Substance P and its transglutaminase-synthesized spermine derivative elicit yawning behavior via nitric oxide in rats.

Previously, we showed that intranigrostriatal injection of substance P (SP) cause behavioral changes in rats. Those effects, such as locomotion and food intake, resulted related to catecholamines release modulated by nitric oxide [18]. Here we report that intranigrostriatal injection of SP elicited yawning in rats. Moreover, since in previous studies we demonstrated that transglutaminase-synthesized gamma-(glutamyl5)spermine derivative of SP (Spm-SP) could be a useful tool in differentiating NK1 receptors [5,19,26], we reports the effects of injecting the selective septide-sensitive NK1 receptor agonist Spm-SP into the nigrostriatal region of the rat brain on yawning. The administration of L-N(omega)-nitroarginine methyl ester, a NO-synthase inhibitor, stereospecifically reduced in a dose related manner both SP and Spm-SP-induced yawning. In contrast, L-arginine pretreatment prevented the effect of NO-synthase inhibitor. Moreover, the NK1 antagonist RP,67580 blocked yawning behavior induced by both SP and Spm-SP, whereas the pretreatment with systemic reserpine determined its increase. The administration of NO-synthase inhibitor resulted ineffective in reducing SP and Spm-SP-induced yawns in reserpinized rats. Finally, yawns elicited by SP or Spm-SP were blocked when rats were treated with scopolamine but not with methylscopolamine. These results indicate that yawning induced in rats by SP injection is dependent upon endogenous dopamine levels in brain nigrostriatal area. Moreover, we demonstrate, by using Spm-SP, that septide-sensitive NK1 receptor are specifically involved in yawning behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Fetal yawning activity in normal and high-risk fetuses: a preliminary observation.

OBJECTIVE: To study yawning activity in healthy fetuses and in fetuses at high risk. METHODS: Yawning activity was studied in 16 healthy and 22 high-risk fetuses. Studies were performed in the postprandial state at 09.00 and 12.00 in a quiet room with the woman in the lateral recumbent position. All ultrasound examinations were performed using a 3.5-MHz Acuson 128 PX curvilinear probe. Fetal lips, mouth, tongue, pharynx, larynx, trachea and esophagus were surveyed in serial coronal and sagittal planes. All fetal mouthing movements were analyzed by a review of the videotape in slow motion. RESULTS: In both normal and high-risk fetuses, yawning was represented by isolated mouthing movements and consisted of slow opening of the mouth with simultaneous downward movements of the tongue. This phase occupied 50-75% of the yawning cycle. After reaching its maximum opening, the mouth remained wide open for 2-8 s and returned to its resting position within seconds. Growth-restricted fetuses demonstrated yawning patterns consisting of isolated yawns similar to those seen in healthy fetuses. Unusual bursts of fetal yawning activity were recorded in anemic fetuses. CONCLUSION: Yawning activity in anemic fetuses may represent a compensatory process to increase venous return to the heart.

Female↗
PubMed2004

Contagious yawning in chimpanzees.

Six adult female chimpanzees were shown video scenes of chimpanzees repeatedly yawning or of chimpanzees showing open-mouth facial expressions that were not yawns. Two out of the six females showed significantly higher frequencies of yawning in response to yawn videos; no chimpanzees showed the inverse. Three infant chimpanzees that accompanied their mothers did not yawn at all. These data are highly reminiscent of the contagious yawning effects reported for humans. Contagious yawning is thought to be based on the capacity for empathy. Contagious yawning in chimpanzees provides further evidence that these apes may possess advanced self-awareness and empathic abilities.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Video-induced yawning in stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides).

This study reports the first experimental exploration of possible contagious yawning in monkeys. Twenty-two stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) were presented with video clips of either yawns or control mouth movements by conspecifics. At a group level, monkeys yawned significantly more often during and just after the yawn tape than the control tape. Supplementary analysis revealed that the yawn tape also elicited significantly more self-directed scratching responses than the control tape, which suggests that yawning might have been caused by tension arising from viewing the yawn tape. Understanding to what extent the observed effect resembles contagious yawning as found in humans and chimpanzees requires more detailed experimentation.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Food anticipatory yawning rhythm in the rat.

The effect of feeding schedules on the daily rhythm in spontaneous yawning activity was studied in high yawning (HY) Sprague-Dawley rats. If the animals are fed ad libitum and changed from a standard 12-12 light-dark (LD) illumination regime to constant light (LL), the normal predark circadian peak in yawning disappears, to be replaced, after 3 weeks, by two or more ultradian smaller peaks in yawning frequency. Restriction of food availability to 2-2:30 regular hours of the day, in rats under LL conditions, leads to the appearance of a significant preprandial (food anticipatory) peak in yawning. A similar eating-fasting daily cycle of 2-22 h in rats under LD conditions determines the disappearance of the pre-dark peak in yawning activity, and a significant shift in higher yawning frequency towards the couple of hours preceding food availability. This result suggests that restricted feeding is more potent than the LD transition in the entrainment of the daily rhythm in yawning activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

The yawning-penile erection syndrome as a model for putative dopamine autoreceptor activity.

The efficacy of several drugs to elicit yawning and penile erections were determined in rats. The dopamine agonists, N-propylnorapomorphine, apomorphine, pergolide, (+/-)-3-PPP, TL-99 and N,N-dipropylamino-5,6-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (N,N-dipropyl A-5,6-DTN) all elicited yawning accompanied by an increase in spontaneous penile erections. The potencies of these drugs in causing yawning closely resemble published data concerning their actions in biochemical tests reputedly indicative of autoreceptor activity. In contrast, SK&F 38393, A-5,6-DTN and clonidine produced no yawning and few or no penile erections. Although physostigmine also caused yawning, the effect was not accompanied by penile erections. Studies with the optical isomers of 3-PPP showed that (+)-3-PPP was considerably more potent than (-)-3-PPP. Haloperidol antagonised dopamine agonist-induced yawning and penile erections. Apomorphine-induced yawning and penile erections were also antagonised by sulpiride and atropine but not by domperidone. The suitability of elicitation of the combined syndrome of yawning plus penile erections as useful behavioural model for dopamine autoreceptor agonists is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Desipramine induces yawning behaviour in rats.

Yawning behaviour in rats injected subcutaneously with antidepressant drugs was studied by direct observation. Desipramine (0.1-30 mg/kg) elicited yawning that began 15-20 min after injection and lasted for 60 min, and the dose-response curve showed a bell-shaped form. Desipramine (10 mg/kg) elicited the maximal effect (mean number of yawns 13.6). Haloperidol (0.02 mg/kg), spiperone (0.2 mg/kg), pimozide (4 mg/kg), reserpine (7.5 mg/kg), alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (250 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg) markedly reduced yawning induced by desipramine, whereas prazosin (1 mg/kg) and phenoxybenzamine (5 mg/kg) were without effect. These findings indicate that desipramine induces yawning by a dopaminergic mechanism, and that endogenous dopamine (DA) is necessary for its occurrence. Yawning was observed also after administration of imipramine, clomipramine, trazodone, its metabolite m-chlorophenylpiperazine and (+/-)sulpiride. These drugs given in a similar dose-range to desipramine produced a weaker effect than desipramine. Selective and potent inhibitors of the uptake of noradrenaline (NA) or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), (+)oxaprotiline and citalopram, did not elicit yawning. A possibility is considered that certain antidepressant drugs induced yawning through an influence on dopaminergic system.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Relation between yawning behavior and central serotonergic neuronal system in rats.

Subcutaneously (s.c.) administered apomorphine (0.0125-0.4 mg/kg) or physostigmine (0.025-0.4 mg/kg) to rats elicited yawning. The dose-response curves were bell-shaped. The peak effects of apomorphine and physostigmine were observed with a dose of 0.1 mg/kg of each drug. Yawning elicited by apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg) or physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) was reduced by intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, 50-200 mg/kg, given 30 min before). Yawning elicited by apomorphine but not by physostigmine was enhanced by p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA, 25-400 mg/kg i.p., given 24 h before). Apomorphine elicited but not physostigmine-elicited yawning was enhanced by pretreatment with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT, 8 micrograms/rat, given 14 days before into the dorsal raphe). This treatment led to a 35% depletion of serotonin (5-HT) in the striatum. 5-HTP, p-CPA or 5,7-DHT given alone did not elicit yawning. Bilateral, intrastriatal microinjection of apomorphine (1.5-50 micrograms/site) but not physostigmine (5-50 micrograms/site) elicited yawning. The dose-response curve was also bell-shaped. These results indicate that central serotonergic pathways play an important role in modulating drug-elicited yawning in rats.

5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine↗
PubMed1995

Effects of GABAergic drugs on physostigmine-induced yawning in rats.

In the present work the effects of GABA agonists and antagonists on yawning induced by physostigmine have been studied. Intraperitoneally (IP) injection of physostigmine (0.05-0.3 mg/kg) induced dose-related yawning in rats. The maximum yawning response was observed with 0.2 mg/kg of the drug. The GABA agonists muscimol (1-4 mg/kg) and baclofen (0.125-1 mg/kg) decreased yawning induced by physostigmine (0.2 mg/kg) dose dependently. Combination of both GABA agonists elicited greater inhibition of yawning. The GABA-A antagonists bicuculline or picrotoxin but not the GABA-B antagonist phaclofen reduced the inhibitory response induced by muscimol, whereas phaclofen but not bicuculline or picrotoxin reduced baclofen's inhibitory effect. Administration of bicuculline, picrotoxin or phaclofen also decreased the yawning induced by physostigmine. However, when the GABA-A and GABA-B antagonists were employed in combination, the inhibitory responses of both drugs were lost. It is concluded that GABA-A and/or GABA-B receptor stimulation may inhibit physostigmine-induced yawning.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of muscle sympathetic nerve activity during yawning.

Yawning is a complex event that depends largely on the autonomic nervous system. Microneurographic techniques were used to study the mechanism involved in yawning. A series of spontaneous yawns displayed by a healthy 39-year-old male offered us the opportunity to study the muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) during this phenomenon. It was found that 2 s of yawning inhibited the MSNA recorded at the right peroneal nerve in the lateral knee area, while 3 s of slow expiration succeeding a yawn provoked an MSNA discharge. Blood pressure decreased with each slow expiration by 5-6 mmHg, and increased again with the renewed MSNA discharge. We conclude that yawning is associated with a sympathetic suppression that favours a parasympathetic dominance, as indicated by the MSNA and the decrease in blood pressure. The slow expiration following a yawn is associated with a sympathetic activation marked by an MSNA discharge and an increase in blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Apomorphine produced more yawning in Sprague-Dawley rats than in F344 rats: a pharmacological study.

Apomorphine induced yawning in both Sprague-Dawley and F344 rats in the same dose range, but F344 rats emitted only about 1/4 as many yawns as did Sprague-Dawley rats. At higher doses, rats of both strains exhibited stereotypic behavior with a comparable intensity. Pretreatment with either SCH 23390 [R(+)-8-chloro-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine-7-o l] or pindolol increased apomorphine-induced yawning further in Sprague-Dawley rats, but had little effect on the low yawning score produced by apomorphine in F344 rats. The low yawning response to apomorphine in F344 rats is, therefore, not due to a high baseline dopaminergic or adrenergic activity. Apomorphine-induced yawning in F344 rats was increased after an acute injection of physostigmine, or 24 h after an injection of reserpine. It is postulated that a low baseline cholinergic activity in F344 rats may be responsible, in part, for their lower yawning response to dopaminergic receptor stimulation.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗