title: Sleep deprivation elevates plasma corticosterone levels in neonatal rats.
abstract: Plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels were measured after short periods of sleep deprivation in rats at postnatal days 12, 16, 20, and 24. There was an age-dependent increase in basal CORT levels and sleep deprivation significantly elevated CORT at all ages compared to non-sleep deprived controls. The levels of CORT after sleep deprivation in P16, P20 and P24 animals were similar, resulting in an age-dependent decrease of the magnitude of the response. Sleep deprived P12 animals had lower levels of CORT. However, the observed response to sleep deprivation suggests that sleep loss is a significant stressor at this age. These observations suggest that younger animals are more sensitive to the effects of mild sleep deprivation than older ones.
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Program, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA. Ilana.Hairston.edu
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Hairston
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Ruby
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brooke
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peyron
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Denning
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Sapolsky
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D003345:Corticosterone