Effects Of REM Sleep Deprivation And Drug Intervention On Cognition And Synaptic Plasticity Of Hippocampus In Rats

Objective To investigate the change of cognition and synaptic plasiticity in rats'hippocampus after various degrees of sleep deprivation and sleep revival and modafinil intervention. Methods All the male SD rats were divided into 3 groups randomly: cage control group (CC), tank control group (TG) and REM sleep deprivation and revival group. REM sleep deprivation group was divided into control group (CG), CMC auxiliary solvent group (CMC) and modafinil administration group (modafinil). Animals in REM sleep deprivation and revival group were sacrificed at the end of 1d, 3d, 5d sleep deprivation periods respectively and at the end of 6h, 12h sleep revival after 5d sleep deprivation. The modified multiple platform method(MMPM)was used to establish sleep deprivation model, The cognitive function was tested by Y-type maze, Western blot technique was specially used to analysis the quantitative level of synapsinâ… involved in the hippocampus, immunohistochemistry was used to observe the synapsinâ… expression and distribution in the CA3 hippocampus, and electron microscope techniques was used to investigate the changes of morphosis in stratum radiatum of CA3 hippocampus. Results There were no statistically significant differences(p>0.05)in error reaction numbers (EN) and total reaction time (TRT) between CC and TC. Compared with CC, EN of CG was increased in SD3d and SD5d (p<0.05), Compared with CG, EN of modafinil group decreased in SD1d, SD3d and SD5d (p<0.05). Compared with CC, synapsinâ… expressions in every time point was decreased (p<0.05) by immunohistochemistry, Compared with CG, synapsinâ… expressions in modafinil group were increased in SD1d, SD3d and RS6h (p<0.05), same results were gotten in Western Blot. Under the electron microscope, numbers of synaptic vesicles, active zones in presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic density were decreased compared with control group in SD1d, but by administrating modafinil, numbers of synaptic vesicles, active zones in presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic density were all increased in SD1d. Conclusion Sleep deprivation, no matter mild or severe, both could have adverse effects on cognitive function and synapsinâ… expression, modafinil may improve the cognitive disorder after sleep deprivation and regulate synaptic plasiticity.