Expression of prepro-orexin mRNA in normal sleep and sleep-deprived rats / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the expression of prepro-orexin mRNA in circadian rhythms and sleep-deprived rats.Methods Sleep was deprived with “rotation cylinder” in rats. RT-PCR was used to determine the change of prepro-orexin mRNA expression in cortex and hypothalamus of circadian rhythms and sleep-deprived rats.Results There was a significant changes of prepro-orexin mRNA expression with circadian rhythms in hypothalamus of rats. But there was no significant change in cortex. More prepro-orexin mRNA expression was found in hypothalamus than in cortex of rats. The expression of prepro-orexin mRNA in hypothalamus and in cortex of rats was not effected by short times of sleep deprivation. However the expression was raised by a 8-hour sleep deprivation.Conclusions There should be a close relationship between orexin and sleep. The control of sleep may be dependent on regulation of orexin in hypothalamus.