title: Effects of sleep on the production of cytokines in humans.
abstract: The restorative functions of sleep may affect immunologic functioning. The present study examined the effects of sleep on stimulated cytokine release in 13 healthy men. The subjects spent 2 experimental nights in the sleep laboratory. In one condition, lights were turned off at 11:00 PM to enable sleep for 3.5 hours. Thereafter, they stayed awake till 7:00 AM. In the other condition, conversely, subjects stayed awake between 11:00 PM and 3:00 AM. Then, lights were turned off for a 3.5-hour phase of sleep. Blood was sampled every 30 minutes between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. Sleep was monitored by polysomnographic recordings. Release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) was determined after stimulation of mononuclear cells with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli. The release of IL-2 was stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. Compared with wakefulness, after 3 hours of sleep, production of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta was substantially diminished (p < .01). Production of IL-2 was enhanced during sleep (p < .05), with this effect being limited to the second nocturnal sleep phase after 3:00 AM. Sleep-dependent changes in stimulated cytokine release were independent of changes in plasma cortisol concentrations. These results indicate a specific reducing effect of sleep (vs. wakefulness) on cytokine production by monocytes (TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta). The rather slow development of the effects calls for further studies to establish the exact time course of the influence of sleep on cytokine production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uthgenannt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schoolmann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pietrowsky
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fehm
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Born
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000276:immunology*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D006854:Hydrocortisone