Sleep deprivation increases brain serotonin turnover in the Djungarian hamster.
Djungarian hamsters well adapted to a short photoperiod were subjected to 4 h of total sleep deprivation (SD) by gentle handling. Tissue concentrations of monoamines and of their metabolites were measured from several brain areas using HPLC with electrochemical detection. The 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HIAA/5-HT) ratio was significantly increased after SD in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and brain stem, indicating increased serotonin (5-HT) turnover in those areas, while no changes were found in the frontal cortex and olfactory bulb. Dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) concentrations were elevated in the hypothalamus, while the noradrenaline concentrations did not change in any of the measured areas. We conclude that a short SD, which has been shown to elevate EEG slow-wave activity during recovery sleep, specifically increases 5-HT turnover in the brain.
Asikainen
M
M
Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Deboer
T
T
Porkka-Heiskanen
T
T
Stenberg
D
D
Tobler
I
I
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006224:Cricetinae; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017111:Phodopus; D017440:Photoperiod; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*
D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid