The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on TNF- Alpha in Menopause-Induced Rats
- Author Nicole Ellsworth
- Co-Author Frank Frisch
- DOI 10.17605/O
- Country : US
- Subject : Health Sciences
Keywords : concentrations, deprivation, osteoporosis, necrosis
Abstract
Post-menopausal osteoporosis as a consequence of estrogen depletion is a growing concern for women in the United States. As more women take on executive positions and experience sleep deprivation, there is the potential for up regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-ɑ). It follows that the homeostatic imbalance of osteoclastic and osteoblastic activity leads to a greater risk of disease. Bisphosphonates generally, and Zoledronate specifically, works by attempting to correct the imbalance of osteoblasts and osteoclasts decreasing the number of osteoclasts. This current study investigated the impact of Zoledronate on the concentrations of TNF-ɑ in 32 ovariectomized Wistar rats. Throughout a five-week period of sleep deprivation cycles, the concentrations of TNF-ɑ were collected and examined. It was originally hypothesized that the sleep-deprived group of rats would have the highest concentration of TNF-ɑ due to the biological stress associated with insomnia. However, TNF-ɑ levels were significantly higher in the Zoledronate group than both the control and sleep-deprived groups, as well as the sleep-deprived with Zoledronate groups (p<0.01). We ascribe this to bisphosphonate induced transient fever seen in Zoledronate usage in previous studies (Dicuonzo, 2003). It is also suspected that the low concentrations of TNF-ɑ in the sleep-deprived groups are seen due to the short time frame of this experiment along with a challenged immune system in the animals. Future studies should address this issue by involving a longer cycle of sleep deprivation along with a greater sample size.
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