Effect of Sleep Restriction on Cardiometabolic and Haemoinflammatory  Parameters in Adult Male Wistar Rats

Mahdi  Dissi Gambo; Ahmed  Ibrahim Salisu; Yusuf  Tanko; Mohammed  Aliyu

doi:10.18502/jss.v5i4.7804

Mahdi Dissi Gambo Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
Ahmed Ibrahim Salisu Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
Yusuf Tanko Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Mohammed Aliyu Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jss.v5i4.7804

Keywords: Sleep deprivation; Metabolic syndrome; Blood cell count; CD4 cells

Abstract

Background and Objective: While insufficient sleep remains an under-recognized public health issue across the globe, there is paucity and heterogeneity of data regarding its cardiometabolic and haemoinflammatory implications. We,
therefore, aimed to evaluate the impact of chronic sleep restriction on cardiometabolic and haemoinflammatory parameters in rats.

Materials and Methods: 16 male Wistar rats (aged 8-10 weeks) were randomly assigned into equal control or sleep restriction groups. Gentle handling was used to induce sleep restriction for six weeks. Fasting weight and blood sugar
were obtained and lipids were analyzed using their respective Randox kits. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were assayed. Full blood count and CD4+ T cell count were determined using automated analyzer. Data were analyzed using Student’s t-test, with level of significance set at P ≤ 0.05, via SPSS software.

Results: Chronic sleep restriction caused significant initial weight loss, increase in feed consumption, and percentage increase in fasting blood sugar (FBS) (32% vs. 15%). We also noted the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index of sleep-restricted
rats to be significantly higher (6.22) than that of controls (5.62). In addition, a significant reduction in monocyte count, monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and absolute CD4+ cell count among the sleep-restricted rats was observed.

Conclusion: Our findings have provided objective evidence that, over the course of 6 weeks, 5 hours of sleep restriction had caused body weight gain, hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, and impairment in immunoinflammatory
status; hence, it could be a risk factor for developing cardiometabolic syndrome and immune-related disorders.