Recurrent restriction of sleep and inadequate recuperation induce both adaptive changes and pathological outcomes. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2009 Nov;297(5):R1430-40
Date
08/21/2009Pubmed ID
19692662Pubmed Central ID
PMC2777777DOI
10.1152/ajpregu.00230.2009Scopus ID
2-s2.0-70449672782 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 50 CitationsAbstract
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.
Author List
Everson CA, Szabo AAuthors
Carol A. Everson PhD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinAniko Szabo PhD Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Adaptation, PhysiologicalAdipose Tissue
Animals
Biopsy
Body Weight
Drinking
Eating
Intestines
Male
Models, Animal
Organ Size
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Recovery of Function
Recurrence
Skin
Sleep Deprivation
Viscera
