Reductions in circulating anabolic hormones induced by sustained sleep deprivation in rats

Orexin activation precedes increased NPY expression, hyperphagia, and metabolic changes in response to sleep deprivation

Several pieces of evidence support that sleep duration plays a role in body weight control. Nevertheless, it has been assumed that, after the identification of orexins (hypocretins), the molecular basis of the interaction between sleep and energy homeostasis has been provided. However, no study has verified the relationship between neuropeptide Y (NPY) and orexin changes during hyperphagia induced by sleep deprivation. In the current study we aimed to establish the time course of changes in metabolite, endocrine, and hypothalamic neuropeptide expression of Wistar rats sleep deprived by the platform method for a distinct period (from 24 to 96 h) or sleep restricted for 21 days (SR-21d). Despite changes in the stress hormones, we found no changes in food intake and body weight in the SR-21d group. However, sleep-deprived rats had a 25-35% increase in their food intake from 72 h accompanied by slight weight loss. Such changes were associated with increased hypothalamus mRNA levels of prepro-orexin (PPO) at 24 h followed by NPY at 48 h of sleep deprivation. Conversely, sleep recovery reduced the expression of both PPO and NPY, which rapidly brought the animals to a hypophagic condition. Our data also support that sleep deprivation rapidly increases energy expenditure and therefore leads to a negative energy balance and a reduction in liver glycogen and serum triacylglycerol levels despite the hyperphagia. Interestingly, such changes were associated with increased serum levels of glucagon, corticosterone, and norepinephrine, but no effects on leptin, insulin, or ghrelin were observed. In conclusion, orexin activation accounts for the myriad changes induced by sleep deprivation, especially the hyperphagia induced under stress and a negative energy balance.

Prolonged sleep restriction affects glucose metabolism in healthy young men

This study identifies the effects of sleep restriction and subsequent recovery sleep on glucose homeostasis, serum leptin levels, and feelings of subjective satiety. Twenty-three healthy young men were allocated to a control group (CON) or an experimental (EXP) group. After two nights of 8 h in bed (baseline, BL), EXP spent 4 h in bed for five days (sleep restriction, SR), followed by two nights of 8 h (recovery, REC). CON spent 8 h in bed throughout the study. Blood samples were taken after the BL, SR, and REC period. In EXP, insulin and insulin-to-glucose ratio increased after SR. IGF-1 levels increased after REC. Leptin levels were elevated after both SR and REC; subjective satiety remained unaffected. No changes were observed in CON. The observed increase of serum IGF-1 and insulin-to-glucose ratio indicates that sleep restriction may result in an increased risk to develop type 2 diabetes.

Ten putative contributors to the obesity epidemic

The obesity epidemic is a global issue and shows no signs of abating, while the cause of this epidemic remains unclear. Marketing practices of energy-dense foods and institutionally-driven declines in physical activity are the alleged perpetrators for the epidemic, despite a lack of solid evidence to demonstrate their causal role. While both may contribute to obesity, we call attention to their unquestioned dominance in program funding and public efforts to reduce obesity, and propose several alternative putative contributors that would benefit from equal consideration and attention. Evidence for microorganisms, epigenetics, increasing maternal age, greater fecundity among people with higher adiposity, assortative mating, sleep debt, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceutical iatrogenesis, reduction in variability of ambient temperatures, and intrauterine and intergenerational effects as contributing factors to the obesity epidemic are reviewed herein. While the evidence is strong for some contributors such as pharmaceutical-induced weight gain, it is still emerging for other reviewed factors. Considering the role of such putative etiological factors of obesity may lead to comprehensive, cause specific, and effective strategies for prevention and treatment of this global epidemic.

Paradoxical sleep deprivation activates hypothalamic nuclei that regulate food intake and stress response

A large body of evidence has shown that prolonged paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) results in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, and in loss of body weight despite an apparent increase of food intake, reflecting increased energy expenditure. The flowerpot technique for PSD is an efficient paradigm for investigating the relationships among metabolic regulation and stress response. The purpose of the present study was to examine the mechanisms involved in the effects of 96 h of PSD on metabolism regulation, feeding behaviour and stress response by studying corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and orexin (ORX) immunoreactivity in specific hypothalamic nuclei. Once-daily assessments of body weight, twice-daily measurements of (spillage-corrected) food intake, and once-daily determinations of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone were made throughout PSD or at corresponding times in control rats (CTL). Immunoreactivity for CRH in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and for ORX in the hypothalamic lateral area was evaluated at the end of the experimental period. PSD resulted in increased diurnal, but not nocturnal, food intake, producing no significant changes in global food intake. PSD augmented the immunoreactivity for CRH and plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels, characterizing activation of the HPA axis. PSD also markedly increased the ORX immunoreactivity. The average plasma level of corticosterone correlated negatively with body weight gain throughout PSD. These results indicate that augmented ORX and CRH immunoreactivity in specific hypothalamic nuclei may underlie some of the metabolic changes consistently described in PSD.

Effects on prolactin secretion and binding to dopaminergic receptors in sleep-deprived lupus-prone mice

Sleep disturbances have far-reaching effects on the neuroendocrine and immune systems and may be linked to disease manifestation. Sleep deprivation can accelerate the onset of lupus in NZB/NZWF(1) mice, an animal model of severe systemic lupus erythematosus. High prolactin (PRL) concentrations are involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus in human beings, as well as in NZB/NZWF(1) mice. We hypothesized that PRL could be involved in the earlier onset of the disease in sleep-deprived NZB/NZWF(1) mice. We also investigated its binding to dopaminergic receptors, since PRL secretion is mainly controlled by dopamine. Female NZB/NZWF(1) mice aged 9 weeks were deprived of sleep using the multiple platform method. Blood samples were taken for the determination of PRL concentrations and quantitative receptor autoradiography was used to map binding of the tritiated dopaminergic receptor ligands [3H]-SCH23390, [3H]-raclopride and [3H]-WIN35,428 to D(1) and D(2) dopaminergic receptors and dopamine transporter sites throughout the brain, respectively. Sleep deprivation induced a significant decrease in plasma PRL secretion (2.58 +/- 0.95 ng/mL) compared with the control group (25.25 +/- 9.18 ng/mL). The binding to D(1) and D(2) binding sites was not significantly affected by sleep deprivation; however, dopamine transporter binding was significantly increased in subdivisions of the caudate-putamen--posterior (16.52 +/- 0.5 vs 14.44 +/- 0.6), dorsolateral (18.84 +/- 0.7 vs 15.97 +/- 0.7) and ventrolateral (24.99 +/- 0.5 vs 22.54 +/- 0.7 microCi/g), in the sleep-deprived mice when compared to the control group. These results suggest that PRL is not the main mechanism involved in the earlier onset of the disease observed in sleep-deprived NZB/NZWF(1) mice and the reduction of PRL concentrations after sleep deprivation may be mediated by modifications in the dopamine transporter sites of the caudate-putamen.

Recurrent restriction of sleep and inadequate recuperation induce both adaptive changes and pathological outcomes

Chronic restriction of a basic biological need induces adaptations to help meet requisites for survival. The adaptations to chronic restriction of sleep are unknown. A single episode of 10 days of partial sleep loss in rats previously was shown to be tolerated and to result in increased food intake and loss of body weight as principal signs. The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the extent to which adaptation to chronic sleep restriction would ameliorate short-term effects and result in a changed internal phenotype. Rats were studied during 10 wk of multiple periods of restricted and unrestricted sleep to allow adaptive changes to develop. Control rats received the same ambulatory requirements only consolidated into periods that lessened interruptions of their sleep. The results indicate a latent period of relatively stable food and water intake without weight gain, followed by a dynamic phase marked by enormous increases in food and water intake and progressive loss of body weight, without malabsorption of calories. Severe consequences ensued, marked especially by changes to the connective tissues, and became fatal for two individuals. The most striking changes to internal organs in sleep-restricted rats included lengthening of the small intestine, decreased size of adipocytes, and increased incidence of multilocular adipocytes. Major organs accounted for an increased proportion of total body mass. These changes to internal tissues appear adaptive in response to high energy production, decomposition of lipids, and increased need to absorb nutrients, but ultimately insufficient to compensate for inadequate sleep.

Prazosin modulates rapid eye movement sleep deprivation-induced changes in body temperature in rats

Prolonged rapid eye movement sleep deprivation (REMSD) causes hypothermia and death; however, the effect of deprivation within 24 h and its mechanism(s) of action were unknown. Based on existing reports we argued that REMSD should, at least initially, induce hyperthermia and the death upon prolonged deprivation could be due to persistent hypothermia. We proposed that noradrenaline (NA), which modulates body temperature and is increased upon REMSD, may be involved in REMSD- associated body temperature changes. Adult male Wistar rats were REM sleep deprived for 6-9 days by the classical flower pot method; suitable free moving, large platform and recovery controls were carried out. The rectal temperature (Trec) was recorded every minute for 1 h, or once daily, or before and after i.p. injection of prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist. The Trec was indeed elevated within 24 h of REMSD which decreased steadily, despite continuation of deprivation. Prazosin injection into the deprived rats reduced the Trec within 30 min, and the duration of effect was comparable to its pharmacological half life. The findings have been explained on the basis of REMSD-induced elevated NA level, which has opposite actions on the peripheral and the central nervous systems. We propose that REMSD-associated immediate increase in Trec is due to increased Na-K ATPase as well as metabolic activities and peripheral vasoconstriction. However, upon prolonged deprivation, probably the persistent effect of NA on the central thermoregulatory sites induced sustained hypothermia, which if remained uncontrolled, results in death. Thus, our findings suggest that peripheral prazosin injection in REMSD would not bring the body temperature to normal, rather might become counterproductive.

Melanin-concentrating hormone neurons discharge in a reciprocal manner to orexin neurons across the sleep-wake cycle

Neurons containing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) are codistributed with neurons containing orexin (Orx or hypocretin) in the lateral hypothalamus, a peptide and region known to be critical for maintaining wakefulness. Evidence from knockout and c-Fos studies suggests, however, that the MCH neurons might play a different role than Orx neurons in regulating activity and sleep-wake states. To examine this possibility, neurons were recorded across natural sleep-wake states in head-fixed rats and labeled by using the juxtacellular technique for subsequent immunohistochemical identification. Neurons identified as MCH+ did not fire during wake (W); they fired selectively during sleep, occasionally during slow wave sleep (SWS) and maximally during paradoxical sleep (PS). As W-Off/Sleep-On, the MCH neurons discharged in a reciprocal manner to the W-On/Sleep-Off Orx neurons and could accordingly play a complementary role to Orx neurons in sleep-wake state regulation and contribute to the pathophysiology of certain sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy with cataplexy.

Sleep curtailment is accompanied by increased intake of calories from snacks

BACKGROUND

Short sleep is associated with obesity and may alter the endocrine regulation of hunger and appetite.

OBJECTIVE

We tested the hypothesis that the curtailment of human sleep could promote excessive energy intake.

DESIGN

Eleven healthy volunteers [5 women, 6 men; mean +/- SD age: 39 +/- 5 y; mean +/- SD body mass index (in kg/m(2)): 26.5 +/- 1.5] completed in random order two 14-d stays in a sleep laboratory with ad libitum access to palatable food and 5.5-h or 8.5-h bedtimes. The primary endpoints were calories from meals and snacks consumed during each bedtime condition. Additional measures included total energy expenditure and 24-h profiles of serum leptin and ghrelin.

RESULTS

Sleep was reduced by 122 +/- 25 min per night during the 5.5-h bedtime condition. Although meal intake remained similar (P = 0.51), sleep restriction was accompanied by increased consumption of calories from snacks (1087 +/- 541 compared with 866 +/- 365 kcal/d; P = 0.026), with higher carbohydrate content (65% compared with 61%; P = 0.04), particularly during the period from 1900 to 0700. These changes were not associated with a significant increase in energy expenditure (2526 +/- 537 and 2390 +/- 369 kcal/d during the 5.5-h and 8.5-h bedtime periods, respectively; P = 0.58), and we found no significant differences in serum leptin and ghrelin between the 2 sleep conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrent bedtime restriction can modify the amount, composition, and distribution of human food intake, and sleeping short hours in an obesity-promoting environment may facilitate the excessive consumption of energy from snacks but not meals.

Sleep in the intensive care unit setting

Sleep is essential to human life. Sleep patterns are significantly disrupted in patients who are hospitalized, particularly those in the intensive care unit. Sleep deprivation is pervasive in this patient population and impacts health and recovery from illness. Immune system dysfunction, impaired wound healing, and changes in behavior are all observed in patients who are sleep deprived. Various factors including anxiety, fear, and pain are responsible for the sleep deprivation. Noise, light exposure, and frequent awakenings from caregivers also add to these effects. Underlying medical illnesses and medications can also dramatically affect a patient's ability to sleep efficiently. Therapy with attempts to minimize sleep disruption should be integrated among all of the caregivers. Minimization of analgesics and other medications known to adversely affect sleep should also be ensured. Although further research in the area of sleep deprivation in the intensive care unit setting needs to be conducted, effective protocols can be developed to minimize sleep deprivation in these settings.

Sleep in hospitalized medical patients, part 1: factors affecting sleep

BACKGROUND

Multiple factors lead to sleep disturbances in hospitalized medical patients. Inadequate sleep can lead to both psychological and physiological consequences.

METHODS

A PubMed search was conducted using the terms: ("sleep deprivation," "sleep," or "insomnia") and ("hospitalized," "inpatient," "critical illness," or "acute illness") to review the published data on the topic of sleep in hospitalized medical patients. The search was limited to English-language articles published between 1997 and 2008. Subsequent PubMed searches were performed to clarify the data described in the initial search, including the terms "hospital noise," "hospital environment," "obstructive sleep apnea," and "heart failure."

RESULTS

Few articles specifically addressed the topic of sleep in hospitalized medical patients. Data were limited to observational studies that included outcomes such as sleep complaints and staff logs of wakefulness and sleep. In Part 1, we review normal sleep architecture, and discuss how major medical disorders, the hospital environment, and medications can disrupt sleep during hospitalization. In Part 2, we will propose an evaluation and treatment algorithm to optimize sleep in hospitalized medical patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalization may severely disrupt sleep, which can worsen pain, cardiorespiratory status, and the psychiatric health of acutely ill patients. Like vital signs, the patient sleep quality reveals much about patients' overall well-being, and should be a routine part of medical evaluation.

Phagocyte migration and cellular stress induced in liver, lung, and intestine during sleep loss and sleep recovery

Sleep is understood to possess recuperative properties and, conversely, sleep loss is associated with disease and shortened life span. Despite these critical attributes, the mechanisms and functions by which sleep and sleep loss impact health still are speculative. One of the most consistent, if largely overlooked, signs of sleep loss in both humans and laboratory rats is a progressive increase in circulating phagocytic cells, mainly neutrophils. The destination, if any, of the increased circulating populations has been unknown and, therefore, its medical significance has been uncertain. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine the content and location of neutrophils in liver and lung tissue of sleep-deprived rats. These are two principal sites affected by neutrophil migration during systemic inflammatory illness. The content of neutrophils in the intestine also was determined. Sleep deprivation in rats was produced for 5 and 10 days by the Bergmann-Rechtschaffen disk method, which has been validated for its high selectivity under freely moving conditions and which was tolerated and accompanied by a deep negative energy balance. Comparison groups included basal conditions and 48 h of sleep recovery after 10 days of sleep loss. Myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme constituent of neutrophils, was extracted from liver, lung, and intestinal tissues, and its activity was determined by spectrophotometry. Leukocytes were located in vasculature and interstitial spaces in the liver and the lung by immunohistochemistry. Heme oxygenase-1, also known as heat shock protein-32 and a marker of cellular stress, and corticosterone also were measured. The results indicate neutrophil migration into extravascular liver and lung tissue concurrent with cell stress and consistent with tissue injury or infection induced by sleep loss. Plasma corticosterone was unchanged. Recovery sleep was marked by increased lung heme oxygenase-1, increased intestinal MPO activity, and abnormally low corticosterone, suggesting ongoing reactive processes as a result of prior sleep deprivation.

New neurons in the adult brain: the role of sleep and consequences of sleep loss

Research over the last few decades has firmly established that new neurons are generated in selected areas of the adult mammalian brain, particularly the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation and the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles. The function of adult-born neurons is still a matter of debate. In the case of the hippocampus, integration of new cells in to the existing neuronal circuitry may be involved in memory processes and the regulation of emotionality. In recent years, various studies have examined how the production of new cells and their development into neurons is affected by sleep and sleep loss. While disruption of sleep for a period shorter than one day appears to have little effect on the basal rate of cell proliferation, prolonged restriction or disruption of sleep may have cumulative effects leading to a major decrease in hippocampal cell proliferation, cell survival and neurogenesis. Importantly, while short sleep deprivation may not affect the basal rate of cell proliferation, one study in rats shows that even mild sleep restriction may interfere with the increase in neurogenesis that normally occurs with hippocampus-dependent learning. Since sleep deprivation also disturbs memory formation, these data suggest that promoting survival, maturation and integration of new cells may be an unexplored mechanism by which sleep supports learning and memory processes. Most methods of sleep deprivation that have been employed affect both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Available data favor the hypothesis that decreases in cell proliferation are related to a reduction in REM sleep, whereas decreases in the number of cells that subsequently develop into adult neurons may be related to reductions in both NREM and REM sleep. The mechanisms by which sleep loss affects different aspects of adult neurogenesis are unknown. It has been proposed that adverse effects of sleep disruption may be mediated by stress and glucocorticoids. However, a number of studies clearly show that prolonged sleep loss can inhibit hippocampal neurogenesis independent of adrenal stress hormones. In conclusion, while modest sleep restriction may interfere with the enhancement of neurogenesis associated with learning processes, prolonged sleep disruption may even affect the basal rates of cell proliferation and neurogenesis. These effects of sleep loss may endanger hippocampal integrity, thereby leading to cognitive dysfunction and contributing to the development of mood disorders.

Upper airway loading induces growth retardation and change in local chondrocyte IGF-I expression is reversed by stimulation of GH release in juvenile rats

Chronic resistive airway loading (CAL) impairs growth in juvenile rats. The effects of CAL on epiphyseal growth plate (EGP) structure and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I gene expression have not been explored. Little is known about whether stimulants of endogenous growth hormone (GH) secretion can normalize this growth impairment. This study explored the effect of CAL on circulating and EGP GH/IGF-I pathway GH and the effect of ritanserin (endogenous GH stimulant) on somatic growth and the GH/IGF-I axis. We hypothesized that CAL would lead to a decrease in body temperature (Tb) and alterations of GH/IGF-I pathways, consequently leading to growth retardation. The tracheae of 22-day-old male rats were obstructed by tracheal banding (38 sham-operated control, 42 CAL). Tibial EGP morphometry, liver and EGP IGF mRNA, and serum GH and IGF-I levels were analyzed with quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. Tb and locomotion activity (MA) were measured with telemetric transmitters inserted into the abdominal cavity. CAL animals had lower Tb and MA despite preserved food consumption. CAL impaired both tibial and tail length gains. Tail and tibial length gains inversely correlated with tracheal resistance. Circulating GH and IGF-I, liver and EGP IGF-I mRNA, and EGP width were decreased in the CAL group. Ritanserin administration to CAL animals normalized circulating and local EGP GH and IGF-I levels and minimized the longitudinal growth impairment. We conclude that CAL causes growth delay associated with alterations in the GH/IGF-I axis. Stimulation of GH release by ritanserin restored both global and local GH/IGF-I pathways, yet growth parameters were only partially restored.

Associations between sleep loss and increased risk of obesity and diabetes

During the past few decades, sleep curtailment has become a very common in industrialized countries. This trend for shorter sleep duration has developed over the same time period as the dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Evidence is rapidly accumulating to indicate that chronic partial sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity and diabetes. Laboratory studies in healthy volunteers have shown that experimental sleep restriction is associated with an adverse impact on glucose homeostasis. Insulin sensitivity decreases rapidly and markedly without adequate compensation in beta cell function, resulting in an elevated risk of diabetes. Prospective epidemiologic studies in both children and adults are consistent with a causative role of short sleep in the increased risk of diabetes. Sleep curtailment is also associated with a dysregulation of the neuroendocrine control of appetite, with a reduction of the satiety factor, leptin, and an increase in the hunger-promoting hormone, ghrelin. Thus, sleep loss may alter the ability of leptin and ghrelin to accurately signal caloric need, acting in concert to produce an internal misperception of insufficient energy availability. The adverse impact of sleep deprivation on appetite regulation is likely to be driven by increased activity in neuronal populations expressing the excitatory peptides orexins that promote both waking and feeding. Consistent with the laboratory evidence, multiple epidemiologic studies have shown an association between short sleep and higher body mass index after controlling for a variety of possible confounders.

Sleep deprivation can inhibit adult hippocampal neurogenesis independent of adrenal stress hormones

Sleep deprivation (SD) can suppress cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of adult male rodents, suggesting that sleep may contribute to hippocampal functions by promoting neurogenesis. However, suppression of cell proliferation in rats by the platform-over-water SD method has been attributed to elevated corticosterone (Cort), a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation and nonspecific correlate of this procedure. We report here results that do not support this conclusion. Intact and adrenalectomized (ADX) male rats were subjected to a 96-h SD using multiple- and single-platform methods. New cells were identified by immunoreactivity for 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) or Ki67 and new neurons by immunoreactivity for BrdU and doublecortin. EEG recordings confirmed a 95% deprivation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and a 40% decrease of non-REM sleep. Cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus was suppressed by up to 50% in sleep-deprived rats relative to apparatus control or home cage control rats. This effect was also observed in ADX rats receiving continuous low-dose Cort replacement via subcutaneous minipumps but not in ADX rats receiving Cort replacement via drinking water. In these latter rats, Cort intake via water was reduced by 60% during SD; upregulation of cell proliferation by reduced Cort intake may obscure inhibitory effects of sleep loss on cell proliferation. SD had no effect on the percentage of new cells expressing a neuronal phenotype. These results demonstrate that the Cort replacement method is critical for detecting an effect of SD on cell proliferation and support a significant role for sleep in adult neurogenesis.

Internal desynchronization in a model of night-work by forced activity in rats

Individuals engaged in shift- or night-work show disturbed diurnal rhythms, out of phase with temporal signals associated to the light/dark (LD) cycle, resulting in internal desynchronization. The mechanisms underlying internal desynchrony have been mainly investigated in experimental animals with protocols that induce phase shifts of the LD cycle and thus modify the activity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In this study we developed an animal model of night-work in which the light-day cycle remained stable and rats were required to be active in a rotating wheel for 8 h daily during their sleeping phase (W-SP). This group was compared with rats that were working in the wheel during their activity phase (W-AP) and with undisturbed rats (C). We provide evidence that forced activity during the sleeping phase (W-SP group) alters not only activity, but also the temporal pattern of food intake. In consequence W-SP rats showed a loss of glucose rhythmicity and a reversed rhythm of triacylglycerols. In contrast W-AP rats did not show such changes and exhibited metabolic rhythms similar to those of the controls. The three groups exhibited the nocturnal corticosterone increase, in addition the W-SP and W-AP groups showed increase of plasma corticosterone associated with the start of the working session. Forced activity during the sleep phase did not modify SCN activity characterized by the temporal patterns of PER1 and PER2 proteins, which remained in phase with the LD cycle. These observations indicate that a working regimen during the sleeping period elicits internal desynchronization in which activity combined with feeding uncouples metabolic functions from the biological clock which remains fixed to the LD cycle. The present data suggest that in the night worker the combination of work and eating during working hours may be the cause of internal desynchronization.

Rapid eye movement sleep deprivation contributes to reduction of neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the adult rat

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The dentate gyrus (DG) of the adult hippocampus contains progenitor cells, which have potential to differentiate into neurons. Previously we reported that 96 hours of total sleep deprivation reduces neurogenesis in the DG of adult rats. Loss of either non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep could have contributed to the effect of total sleep deprivation. The present study assessed the effect of 4 days of REM sleep deprivation (REMD) on neurogenesis.

DESIGN

REMD was achieved by brief treadmill movement initiated by automatic online detection of REM sleep. A yoked-control (YC) rat was placed in the same treadmill and experienced the identical movement regardless the stage of the sleep-wake cycle. The thymidine analog 5- bromo- 2'- deoxy-uridine and the intrinsic proliferation marker, Ki-67, were both used to label proliferating cells.

SETTING

Basic neurophysiology laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS

Male Sprague-Dawley male rats (300-320 g).

RESULTS

REM sleep was reduced by 85% in REMD rats and by 43% in YC, compared with cage control animals and by 79% in REMD rats compared with YC. NREM sleep and slow wave activity within NREM did not differ in REMD and YC groups. Cell proliferation was reduced by 63 % in REMD compared with YC rats, and by 82% and 51%, respectively, in REMD and YC rats compared with cage controls. Across all animals, cell proliferation exhibited a positive correlation with the percentage of REM sleep (r = 0.84, P < 0.001). Reduced cell proliferation in REMD rats was confirmed with the intrinsic proliferation marker, Ki-67. REMD also reduced the percentage of proliferating cells that later expressed a mature neuronal marker.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings support a hypothesis that REM sleep-associated processes facilitate proliferation of granule cells in the adult hippocampal DG.

Administration of the protein synthesis inhibitor, anisomycin, has distinct sleep-promoting effects in lateral preoptic and perifornical hypothalamic sites in rats

Although a robust relationship between sleep and increased brain protein synthesis is well-documented, there have been few reports of the effects of local application of a protein synthesis inhibitor (PSI) on sleep. In this study, we compared the effects of local microdialytic administration of the protein synthesis inhibitor, anisomycin (ANI) into the lateral preoptic area (LPOA), a sleep promoting area vs. the perifornical/lateral hypothalamus (PF/LH), a wake and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep-promoting area. ANI administered to the LPOA at night resulted in an increase in stage 2 of rat non-REM sleep, whereas ANI delivered into the PF/LH during the daytime increased REM sleep. ANI microdialysis into hippocampus did not affect sleep or waking. These differential effects of local protein synthesis inhibition on sleep support a hypothesis that mechanisms controlling protein synthesis are critically involved in the regulation of both NREM sleep and REM sleep.

Sleep deprivation-induced gnawing—relationship to changes in feeding behavior in rats

We have recently reported that food spillage increases during sleep deprivation in rats, which may lead to an overestimation of food intake in this condition. The objective of this study was to verify whether sleep deprivation induces an increase in gnawing behavior that could account for increased food spillage and apparent increase in food intake. We introduced wood blocks as objects for gnawing and determined the effects of their availability on food consumption and food spillage during sleep deprivation. Wood block availability reduced the amount of food removed from hoppers and decreased the amount of food spilled. However, weight loss still occurred during the sleep deprivation period, especially in the first 24 h, and it was related to a reduction in food intake. Sleep deprivation causes an increase in stereotyped gnawing behavior which largely accounts for increased food spillage observed during deprivation. Specifically, the observed increase in food removed from feeders seems to be due to an increase in gnawing and not to increased hunger. However, even when appropriately corrected for spillage, food intake decreased in the first 24 h of sleep deprivation, which accounted for most of the body weight loss seen during the 96 h of sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation and energy metabolism: to sleep, perchance to eat?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Many people currently sleep only 5-6 h per night. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that self-reported short sleep is associated with an increased incidence of obesity and diabetes, highlighting the importance of this trend for public health. This finding has triggered renewed research into the mechanisms that link the regulation of mammalian sleep and metabolism.

RECENT FINDINGS

In rodents, periods of starvation are accompanied by increased vigilance and sleep loss, presumably to help maximize food finding and energetic survival, whereas sleep deprivation results in increased energy expenditure and weight loss, consistent with a role of sleep in energy conservation and tissue maintenance. Information about the corresponding processes in humans is limited. Available data indicate that despite the presence of qualitative and quantitative differences, human sleep and metabolism also share reciprocal connections.

SUMMARY

Evolution in an environment with limited resources has established bidirectional links between sleep and energy homeostasis, the molecular mechanisms of which are emerging rapidly. Epidemiological data suggest that the unique ability of humans to restrict their sleep voluntarily in an environment that promotes physical inactivity and overeating may have a negative impact on metabolic health. Randomized intervention trials are needed to confirm the validity of this hypothesis.

Sleep and circadian rhythms: key components in the regulation of energy metabolism

In this review, we present evidence from human and animal studies to evaluate the hypothesis that sleep and circadian rhythms have direct impacts on energy metabolism, and represent important mechanisms underlying the major health epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The first part of this review will focus on studies that support the idea that sleep loss and obesity are "interacting epidemics." The second part will discuss recent evidence that the circadian clock system plays a fundamental role in energy metabolism at both the behavioral and molecular levels. These lines of research must be seen as in their infancy, but nevertheless, have provided a conceptual and experimental framework that potentially has great importance for understanding metabolic health and disease.

Hippocampal neurogenesis is reduced by sleep fragmentation in the adult rat

The adult hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is a site of continuing neurogenesis. This process is influenced by a variety of physiological and experiential stimuli including total sleep deprivation (TSD). In humans, sleep fragmentation (SF) is a more common sleep condition than TSD. SF is associated with several prevalent diseases. We assessed a hypothesis that SF would suppress adult neurogenesis in the DG of the adult rat. An intermittent treadmill system was used; the treadmill was on for 3 s and off for 30 s (SF). For sleep fragmentation control (SFC), the treadmill was on for 15 min and off for 150 min. SF was conducted for three durations: 1, 4 and 7 days. To label proliferating cells, the thymidine analog, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), was injected 2 h prior to the end of each experiment. Expression of the intrinsic proliferative marker, Ki67, was also studied. SF rats exhibited an increased number of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep bouts with no change in the percent of time spent in this stage. The numbers of both BrdU-positive cells and Ki67-positive cells were reduced by approximately 70% (P<0.05) in the SF groups after 4 and 7 days of experimental conditions whereas no differences were observed after 1 day. In a second experiment, we found that the percentage of new cells expressing a neuronal phenotype 3 weeks after BrdU administration was lower in the SF in comparison with the SFC group for all three durations of SF. We also examined the effects of SF on proliferation in adrenalectomized (ADX) animals, with basal corticosterone replacement. ADX SF animals exhibited a 55% reduction in the number of BrdU-positive cells when compared with ADX SFC. Thus, elevated glucocorticoids do not account for most of the reduction in cell proliferation induced by the SF procedure, although a small contribution of stress is not excluded. The results show that sustained SF induced marked reduction in hippocampal neurogenesis.

The metabolic consequences of sleep deprivation

The prevalence of diabetes and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, and the causes of this pandemic are not fully understood. Chronic sleep curtailment is a behavior that has developed over the past 2-3 decades. Laboratory and epidemiological studies suggest that sleep loss may play a role in the increased prevalence of diabetes and/or obesity. Current data suggest the relationship between sleep restriction, weight gain and diabetes risk may involve at least three pathways: (1) alterations in glucose metabolism; (2) upregulation of appetite; and (3) decreased energy expenditure. The present article reviews the current evidence in support of these three mechanisms that might link short sleep and increased obesity and diabetes risk.

Sleep disturbances independently predict heart failure in overweight middle-aged men

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbances are associated with manifest heart failure (HF). However, the relationship between sleep disturbances and incident HF has been less studied.

AIMS

To investigate self-reported sleep disturbances as predictors of HF in a longitudinal, community-based cohort of 2314 middle-aged men.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data on self-reported sleep disturbances, as well as established risk factors for HF were collected and analyzed using Cox proportional hazards analyses. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for established risk factors for HF, the presence at baseline of sleep disturbances (hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.99; p=0.002) was an independent risk factor for HF. There was evidence of effect modification between BMI and sleep disturbances. In multivariable-adjusted models, sleep disturbance (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.13-2.21; p=0.008) was an independent risk factor for HF in overweight participants (BMI>25), but not in normal-weight participants (BMI< or =25). All results remained similar in a sub-sample excluding all participants suffering from a myocardial infarction during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported sleep disturbances imply an increased risk of subsequent HF in overweight middle-aged men, via mechanisms largely independent of established risk factors for HF, including an interim myocardial infarction.

Chronic upper airway resistive loading induces growth retardation via the GH/IGF-I axis in prepubescent rats

The effect of upper airway loading on longitudinal bone growth and various components of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the effect of chronic resistive airway loading (CAL) in a prepubescent rat model on linear bone growth and weight gain was investigated. We hypothesize that CAL induced in prepubescent rats will lead to impaired longitudinal growth due to impairment in circulating and liver GH/IGF-I parameters. The tracheae of 22-day-old rats were obstructed by tracheal banding to increase inspiratory esophageal pressure. The GH/IGF-I markers were analyzed using ELISA, RT-PCR, and Western immunoblot analysis 14 days after surgery. Animals exhibited impaired longitudinal growth as demonstrated by reduction of tibia and tail length gains by 40% ( P < 0.0001) and body weight gain by 24% ( P < 0.0001). No differences were seen in total body energy balance, i.e., oxygen consumption, daily food intake, or arterial blood gases. Circulating GH, IGF-I, and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels were reduced by 40% ( P = 0.037), 30% ( P < 0.006), and 27% ( P = 0.02), respectively, in the CAL group. Liver IGF-I mRNA level decreased by 20% ( P < 0.0002), whereas GH receptor mRNA and protein expression were unchanged. We conclude that impaired longitudinal growth in prepubescent CAL rats is related to a decrease in GH, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 levels.

Effects of sleep deprivation on the development of autoimmune disease in an experimental model of systemic lupus erythematosus

Sleep is hypothesized to play a restorative role on immune system. In addition, disturbed sleep is thought to impair host defense mechanisms. Chronic sleep deprivation is a common occurrence in modern society and has been observed in a number of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). New Zealand Black/New Zealand White (NZB/NZW) F1mice develop an autoimmune disease that strongly resembles SLE in humans, exhibiting high titers of antinuclear antibodies associated with the development of rapidly progressive and lethal glomerulonephritis. On the basis of this evidence, the present study examined the onset and progress of lupus in as-yet healthy female mice submitted to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation was accomplished by two 96-h periods in the multiple-platform method when mice were 10 wk old, and they were observed until 28 wk of age. Blood samples were collected from the orbital plexus fortnightly to evaluate serum antinuclear antibodies and anti-double-stranded DNA. Proteinuria and longevity as well as body weight were also assessed. The results indicated that mice submitted to sleep deprivation exhibited an earlier onset of the disease, as reflected by the increased number of antinuclear antibodies. However, no statistical difference was found in the other parameters analyzed. According to these results, sleep deprivation could be considered as a risk factor for the onset but not for the evolution of the disease.

Altered sleep regulation in leptin-deficient mice

Recent epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies have demonstrated important links between sleep duration and architecture, circadian rhythms, and metabolism, although the genetic pathways that interconnect these processes are not well understood. Leptin is a circulating hormone and major adiposity signal involved in long-term energy homeostasis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that leptin deficiency leads to impairments in sleep-wake regulation. Male ob/ob mice, a genetic model of leptin deficiency, had significantly disrupted sleep architecture with an elevated number of arousals from sleep [wild-type (WT) mice, 108.2 ± 7.2 vs. ob/ob mice, 148.4 ± 4.5, P < 0.001] and increased stage shifts (WT, 519.1 ± 25.2 vs. ob/ob, 748.0 ± 38.8, P < 0.001) compared with WT mice. Ob/ob mice also had more frequent, but shorter-lasting sleep bouts compared with WT mice, indicating impaired sleep consolidation. Interestingly, ob/ob mice showed changes in sleep time, with increased amounts of 24-h non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (WT, 601.5 ± 10.8 vs. ob/ob, 669.2 ± 13.4 min, P < 0.001). Ob/ob mice had overall lower body temperature (WT, 35.1 ± 0.2 vs. ob/ob, 33.4 ± 0.2°C, P < 0.001) and locomotor activity counts (WT, 25125 ± 2137 vs. ob/ob, 5219 ± 1759, P < 0.001). Ob/ob mice displayed an attenuated diurnal rhythm of sleep-wake stages, NREM delta power, and locomotor activity. Following sleep deprivation, ob/ob mice had smaller amounts of NREM and REM recovery sleep, both in terms of the magnitude and the duration of the recovery response. In combination, these results indicate that leptin deficiency disrupts the regulation of sleep architecture and diurnal rhythmicity.

Paradoxical sleep deprivation and sleep recovery: effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, energy balance and body composition of rats

Numerous studies indicate that sleep deprivation alters energy expenditure. However, this conclusion is drawn from indirect measurements. In the present study, we investigated alterations of energy expenditure, body composition, blood glucose levels, plasma insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone levels immediately after 4 days of sleep deprivation or after 4 days of sleep recovery. Rats were sleep deprived or maintained in a control environment (groups sleep-deprived/deprivation and control/deprivation). One half of these animals were sacrificed at the end of the deprivation period and the other half was transported to metabolic cages, where they were allowed to sleep freely (groups sleep-deprived/recovery and control/recovery). At the end of the sleep recovery period, these rats were sacrificed. After sleep deprivation, sleep-deprived rats exhibited loss of body weight, augmented energy expenditure and reduced metabolic efficiency compared to control rats. These alterations were normalised during the sleep recovery period. The body composition of sleep-deprived rats was altered insofar as there was a loss of fat content and gain of protein content in the carcass compared to control rats. However, these alterations were not reversed by sleep recovery. Finally, plasma levels of insulin were reduced during the sleep deprivation period in both control and sleep deprived groups compared to the recovery period. After the deprivation period, plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels were increased in sleep-deprived rats compared to control rats, and although ACTH levels were similar between the groups after the sleep recovery period, corticosterone levels remained elevated in sleep-deprived rats after this period. By means of direct measurements of metabolism, our results showed that sleep deprivation produces increased energy expenditure and loss of fat content. Most of the alterations were reversed by sleep recovery, except for corticosterone levels and body composition.

Changes in hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone, neuropeptide Y, and proopiomelanocortin gene expression during chronic rapid eye movement sleep deprivation of rats

Chronic rapid eye movement (paradoxical) sleep deprivation (REM-SD) of rats leads to two conspicuous pathologies: hyperphagia coincident with body weight loss, prompted by elevated metabolism. Our goals were to test the hypotheses that 1) as a stressor, REM-SD would increase CRH gene expression in the hypothalamus and that 2) to account for hyperphagia, hypothalamic gene expression of the orexigen neuropeptide Y (NPY) would increase, but expression of the anorexigen proopiomelanocortin (POMC) would decrease. Enforcement of REM-SD of adult male rats for 20 d with the platform (flowerpot) method led to progressive hyperphagia, increasing to approximately 300% of baseline; body weight steadily declined by approximately 25%. Consistent with changes in food intake patterns, NPY expression rapidly increased in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus by d 5 of REM-SD, peaking at d 20; by contrast, POMC expression decreased progressively during REM-SD. CRH expression was increased by d 5, both in mRNA and ability to detect neuronal perikaryal staining in paraventricular nucleus with immunocytochemistry, and it remained elevated thereafter with modest declines. Taken together, these data indicate that changes in hypothalamic neuropeptides regulating food intake are altered in a manner consistent with the hyperphagia seen with REM-SD. Changes in CRH, although indicative of REM-SD as a stressor, suggest that the anorexigenic actions of CRH are ineffective (or disabled). Furthermore, changes in NPY and POMC agree with current models of food intake behavior, but they are opposite to their acute effects on peripheral energy metabolism and thermogenesis.

Sleep deprivation suppresses neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus of rats

We reported previously that 96 h of sleep deprivation (SD) reduced cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus in adult rats. We now report that SD reduces the number of new cells expressing a mature neuronal marker, neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN). Rats were sleep-deprived for 96 h, using an intermittent treadmill system. Total sleep time was reduced to 6.9% by this method in SD animals, but total treadmill movement was equated in SD and treadmill control (CT) groups. Rats were allowed to survive for 3 weeks after 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) injection. The phenotype of BrdU-positive cells in the DG was assessed by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. After 3 weeks the number of BrdU-positive cells was reduced by 39.6% in the SD group compared with the CT. The percentage of cells that co-localized BrdU and NeuN was also lower in the SD group (SD: 46.6 +/- 1.8% vs. CT: 71.9 +/- 2.1, P < 0.001). The percentages of BrdU-labeled cells co-expressing markers of immature neuronal (DCX) or glial (S100-beta) cells were not different in SD and CT groups. Thus, SD reduces neurogenesis in the DG by affecting both total proliferation and the percentage of cells expressing a mature neuronal phenotype. We hypothesize that sleep provides anabolic or signaling support for proliferation and cell fate determination.

Effect of rapid-eye-movement sleep deprivation on rat hypothalamic prostaglandins

In this study, we investigated thyroid hormones, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prostaglandin D(2) (PGD(2)) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) levels in rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep-deprived rats compared with controls. The aim of the present study was to detect the effect of REM sleep deprivation (RSD) especially on hypothalamic prostaglandin levels. Twenty-seven male rats were randomly assigned in three groups as dry cage control, yoked control, and RSD. RSD rats were sleep deprived for 10 consecutive days. At the end of 10th day all rats were sacrificed for measurement. Our results indicated that total triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)) decreased in the RSD group while there was no change in TSH. We also measured hypothalamic PGD(2) and PGE(2) levels, but we could not find any significant change between groups.

Clues to the functions of mammalian sleep

The functions of mammalian sleep remain unclear. Most theories suggest a role for non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in energy conservation and in nervous system recuperation. Theories of REM sleep have suggested a role for this state in periodic brain activation during sleep, in localized recuperative processes and in emotional regulation. Across mammals, the amount and nature of sleep are correlated with age, body size and ecological variables, such as whether the animals live in a terrestrial or an aquatic environment, their diet and the safety of their sleeping site. Sleep may be an efficient time for the completion of a number of functions, but variations in sleep expression indicate that these functions may differ across species.

Clinical assessment of blood leukocytes, serum cytokines, and serum immunoglobulins as responses to sleep deprivation in laboratory rats

The specific systems and mechanisms affected by sleep deprivation that may perpetuate disease processes in humans still are speculative. In laboratory rats, prolonged sleep deprivation induces a state marked by abnormal control over indigenous bacteria that results in transient infections of internal tissues and eventual lethal septicemia. The present studies investigated changes in blood, serum, and bone marrow parameters that may provide diagnostic clues to immunopathology. Prolonged sleep deprivation was produced in rats by the disk-over-water method, a well-established and selective means that does not interfere with normal waking behaviors. Measurements included bone and blood differential white blood cell counts, multiple serum cytokines and chemokines, several major Ig classes and subclasses, and serum endotoxin concentrations. The results indicated mild, regenerative neutrophilia in sleep-deprived rats, initially accompanied by immature neutrophils and later by monocytosis. The corresponding serum cytokine profile revealed an evolving proinflammatory state, particularly by high incidence of interleukin-1β, implicating mononuclear phagocytes and resident tissue cells as main intermediary sources. In addition, multiple serum Ig classes were increased by sleep deprivation without experimental administration of an exogenous antigen. Despite this immune activation, there was failure to eradicate invading bacteria and toxins, suggesting competing anti-inflammatory processes or interference with immune effector functions during sleep deprivation. Nearly all of the immune-related events that emerged as responses to sleep deprivation have been implicated as etiological or provocative factors in other disease processes and may provide means by which sleep deprivation as a risk factor in disease may become understood.

Effects of sleep deprivation on wound healing

Sleep deprivation is widely regarded as a stressor and has been shown to have significant effects on host defences. Severely sleep-deprived rats develop lesions on their paws and tails, suggesting possible deficits in the healing process. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep deprivation (RSD) on wound healing in a rat model. Male dark-hooded Long-Evans rats, 2-4 months old, were subjected to dorsal application of two sterile punch biopsies, each 3.5 mm in size. Biopsies were performed either immediately before or immediately after 5 days of sleep deprivation. Wound healing in REM sleep-deprived animals was compared with home cage control and yoked control animals. RSD did not produce differences in the rate of healing, regardless of the timing of the biopsy punch. RSD does not appear to have significant effects on wound healing and thus appears to act differently from other types of stressors on wound healing.

Chronic REM-sleep deprivation of rats elevates metabolic rate and increases UCP1 gene expression in brown adipose tissue

A cluster of unique pathologies progressively develops during chronic total- or rapid eye movement-sleep deprivation (REM-SD) of rats. Two prominent and readily observed symptoms are hyperphagia and decline in body weight. For body weight to be lost despite a severalfold increase in food consumption suggests that SD elevates metabolism as the subject enters a state of negative energy balance. To test the hypothesis that mediation of this hypermetabolism involves increased gene expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1), which dissipates the thermodynamic energy of the mitochondrial proton-motive force as heat instead of ATP formation in brown adipose tissue (BAT), we 1) established the time course and magnitude of change in metabolism by measuring oxygen consumption, 2) estimated change in UCP1 gene expression in BAT by RT-PCR and Western blot, and 3) assayed serum leptin because of its role in regulating energy balance and food intake. REM-SD of male Sprague-Dawley rats was enforced for 20 days with the platform (flowerpot) method, wherein muscle atonia during REM sleep causes contact with surrounding water and awakens it. By day 20, rats more than doubled food consumption while losing approximately 11% of body weight; metabolism rose to 166% of baseline with substantial increases in UCP1 mRNA and immunoreactive UCP1 over controls; serum leptin decreased and remained suppressed. The decline in leptin is consistent with the hyperphagic response, and we conclude that one of the mediators of elevated metabolism during prolonged REM-SD is increased gene expression of UCP1 in BAT.

Functional implications of sleep development

Why do we sleep? The sleep patterns and mechanisms that occur throughout development may give us a clue.

Sleep homeostasis in rats assessed by a long-term intermittent paradoxical sleep deprivation protocol

Numerous studies have evaluated the sleep homeostasis of rats after short- or long-periods of sleep deprivation, but none has assessed the effects of prolonged sleep restriction on the rat's sleep pattern. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to evaluate the sleep homeostasis of rats under a protocol of chronic sleep restriction. Male Wistar rats were implanted with electrodes for EEG and EMG recordings. Using the single platform method, the animals were submitted to 18 h of sleep restriction, beginning at 16:00 h (lights on at 07:00 h), followed by a 6 h sleep window (from 10:00 h to 16:00 h) for 21 days. Immediately after this period, rats were allowed to sleep freely for 4 days (recovery period). The sleep-wake cycle was recorded throughout the entire experiment and the results showed that during the 6h sleep window there was an increase on the percentage of sleep time, reflected by augmented time in high amplitude slow wave sleep and in paradoxical sleep, when compared to baseline sleep, whereas bouts of awakening longer than 1.5 min were greatly reduced, with the animals exhibiting a monophasic-type sleep pattern. During the deprivation period, paradoxical sleep was abolished. High amplitude slow wave sleep was also greatly affected by the protocol. Nonetheless, one day of recovery was sufficient to restore the normal sleep pattern. These findings indicate that this protocol was capable to induce many changes in the rat's sleep patterns, suggesting that during the 6h sleep window there is a sleep adaptive homeostatic process.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome in circadian Clock mutant mice

The CLOCK transcription factor is a key component of the molecular circadian clock within pacemaker neurons of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus. We found that homozygous Clock mutant mice have a greatly attenuated diurnal feeding rhythm, are hyperphagic and obese, and develop a metabolic syndrome of hyperleptinemia, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, hyperglycemia, and hypoinsulinemia. Expression of transcripts encoding selected hypothalamic peptides associated with energy balance was attenuated in the Clock mutant mice. These results suggest that the circadian clock gene network plays an important role in mammalian energy balance.

Sleep, appetite, and obesity--what is the link?

There is a well known relationship between short sleep duration and high body mass index. A new study suggests that the missing link could be the appetite regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin.

Antioxidant defense responses to sleep loss and sleep recovery

Sleep deprivation in humans is widely believed to impair health, and sleep is thought to have powerful restorative properties. The specific physical and biochemical factors and processes mediating these outcomes, however, are poorly elucidated. Sleep deprivation in the animal model produces a condition that eventually becomes highly lethal, lacks specific localization, and is reversible with sleep, implying mediation by a biochemical abnormality. Metabolic and immunological consequences of sleep deprivation point to a high potential for antioxidant imbalance. The objective, therefore, was to study glutathione content in the liver, heart, and lung, because glutathione is considered a major free radical scavenger that reflects the degree to which a tissue has been oxidatively challenged. We also investigated major enzymatic antioxidants, including catalase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as indexes of glutathione recycling. Catalase activity and glutathione content, which normally are tightly regulated, were both decreased in liver by 23-36% by 5 and 10 days of sleep deprivation. Such levels are associated with impaired health in other animal models of oxidative stress-associated disease. The decreases were accompanied by markers of generalized cell injury and absence of responses by the other enzymatic antioxidants under study. Enzymatic activities in the heart indicated an increased rate of oxidative pentose phosphate pathway activity during sleep deprivation. Recovery sleep normalized antioxidant content in liver and enhanced enzymatic antioxidant activities in both the liver and the heart. The present results link uncompensated oxidative stress to health effects induced by sleep deprivation and provide evidence that restoration of antioxidant balance is a property of recovery sleep.