Effect of sleep deprivation on expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNA in brains of rats

  Objective   To study the effect of rapid eye movement sleep(REMS)deprivation on the expression of mRNA coding for neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS)of different brain regions of rats.

  Methods   The flower pot technique was adopted to deprive the REMS of Sprague-Dawley rats for 24 h.The expression of mRNA coding for nNOS of hypothalamus, hippocampus and cerebral cortex in rats was assayed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).

  Results   The expression of nNOS mRNA of hypothalamus and hippocampus in rats increased significantly in group of REMS deprivation for 24 hours(P < 0.01).There was no difference in the expression of nNOS mRNA of cerebral cortex among group of REMS deprivation for 24 hours and large-table control group(P > 0.05).There was no difference in the expression of nNOS mRNA of cerebral cortex among group of REMS deprivation for 24 hours and large-table control group(P > 0.05).

  Conclusion   The expression of nNOS mRNA of hypothalamus and hippocampus can be upregulated markedly after 24 h sleep deprivation, which must be one of the mechanisms of complicated influence of sleep deprivation on functions of central nervous system.