Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Reproductive Function of Female Rats

• Main Authors: Chueh-Ko Yang, 楊爵閣
• Other Authors: Hay-Yan Wang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/nw8wza

博士 === 國立中山大學 === 生物科學系研究所 === 106 === Sleep plays an important role in many physiological and psychological aspects of human endocrinology, carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular diseases, immune function and mental status. Sleep deprivation (SD) adversely affects female reproductive function. In this study, we explored the effect of lack of sleep on reproductive function using rat model of total sleep deprivation (TSD), and the in vitro cell culture of intact ovarian follicles of juvenile rats. The concentrations of serum estradiol, corticosterone and serotonin in rats were systemically measured. Mechanically dissected intact rat follicles were cultured in vitro for the evaluation of follicular development and steroidogenic functions. TSD led to a significant difference in serum estradiol concentrations between the treatment and the control groups. The serum serotonin and corticosterone concentrations were significantly elevated in groups with more than 2 days of SD. FSH induced an increase in both follicle size and follicular cell number, while follicular cell differentiation was accompanied by enhanced inhibin-α and connexin 43 expression. Preantral follicular growth was dose-dependently inhibited by betamethasone (BET; 0.001–1 µg/ml). Such inhibition led to a decrease in follicular cell numbers, the suppressed expression of a proliferating cell nuclear antigen, inhibin-α, and connexin 43. Increasing doses of serotonin could reduce the estradiol production from the large follicles cultured in a fixed FSH level (50 mIU/ml) by as much as 20%. Serotonin also attenuated the expression of FSH-stimulated follicular steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) but did not affect the follicular cell proliferation. These findings supported the notion that TSD retards the follicular development by overstimulating the ovaries with elevated corticosterone. The reduced serum level of estradiol in TSD rats is likely caused by serotonin-mediated inhibition of estradiol production and the expression of StAR protein in the follicles.