慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺对幼鼠生长及学习记忆影响的研究

Effects of chronic partial sleep deprivation on growth and learning/memory in young rats

摘要:

目的：睡眠不足现象在成人及儿童中普遍存在，其对人尤其是处于生长发育期儿童的影响尚未得到很好的认识。该研究将探讨慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺对幼年动物体格发育及学习记忆的影响。方法：12只出生后3周刚断奶的雄性幼鼠，随机分为睡眠剥夺组、试验对照组和空白对照组。采用计算机程控睡眠剥夺装置对幼鼠进行每天3 h（8 am~11 am）持续2周的睡眠剥夺，同时进行体温及体重监测，睡眠剥夺结束后利用Morris水迷宫进行学习记忆测试，之后处死并对重要脏器进行称量。结果：实验结果表明睡眠剥夺组在2周慢性睡眠剥夺后体温显著升高；睡眠剥夺组幼鼠的体重增长速度较其他两组减慢，且胸腺重量也明显轻于空白对照组。学习记忆测试结果发现，三组幼鼠空间学习能力随实验进程均有明显提高，各组间差异无显著性；1周的慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺后，睡眠剥夺组幼鼠空间参照记忆的获得较对照组明显延迟；2周慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺对幼鼠的空间参照记忆未见明显影响。结论：慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺不仅会对幼年动物的体格发育产生影响，而且可能会影响到空间参考记忆获得的速度。［中国当代儿科杂志，2009，11（2）：128-132］

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The effects of sleep deprivation on the immature brain remain unknown. Based on a computer controlled chronic sleep deprivation animal model, the effects of chronic partial sleep deprivation on growth, learning and memory in young rats were explored. METHODS: Twelve weaned male Spraque-Dawley rats (3-week-old) were randomly divided into sleep deprivation, test control and blank control groups. Sleep deprivation was performed using computer-controlled "disc-over-water" technique at 8-11 am daily, for 14 days. The temperature and weights were measured every 7 days. Morris water maze was used to test spatial learning and memory abilities before and 7 and 14 days after sleep deprivation. After 14 days of sleep deprivation, the rats were sacrificed for weighting their major organs. RESULTS: After 14 days of sleep deprivation, the rats'  temperature increased significantly. During the sleep deprivation, the rate of weight gain in the sleep deprivation group was much slower than that in the test control and blank control groups. The thymus of the rats subjected to sleep deprivation was much lighter than that of the blank control group. After 7 days of sleep deprivation, the rats showed slower acquisition of reference memory, but were capable of successfully performing the task by repeated exposure to the test. Such impairment of reference memory was not seen 14 days after sleep deprivation. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic sleep deprivation can affect growth of immature rats, as well as their abilities to acquire spatial reference memory.［Chin J Contemp Pediatr, 2009, 11 (2):128-132］