title: Moderately high doses of the artificial sweetener saccharin potentially induce sleep disorders in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caloric sweeteners such as sugar and honey are replaced in thousands of food products by noncaloric artificial sweeteners (NASs). The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of chronic NAS intake on circadian sleep regulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Circadian rhythms of sleep and locomotor activity were evaluated in mice after consumption of drinking water containing 0.1% (w/v) saccharin for 2 wk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intake of saccharin ad libitum significantly reduced wakefulness and increased non-rapid eye movement sleep during the first half of the active (dark) phase, whereas wakefulness was significantly increased at the start of the sleep phase. Saccharin consumption obviously reduced spontaneous activity during the first half of the dark period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that NASs disturb the circadian sleep-wake cycle and cause behavioral inactivity in mice.
authors.affiliation: Biological Clock Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: K-ooishi@aist.go.jp.
authors.forename: Katsutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.affiliation: Biological Clock Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Higo-Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Biological Clock Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D012439:Saccharin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D012439:Saccharin
keywords: Activity; Circadian rhythm; Food intake; Sleep-wake cycle; Wakefulness