Objective  To investigate the effect of sleep deprivation on the metabolism of the hippocampal region in mice.

  Methods  The mice were randomly assigned to three groups, a control group, a 24-h sleep deprivation (SD) group, and a 48-h SD group. Each group had 10 mice. The sleep deprivation model was induced by the modified multiple platform method. The mice's anxiety-like behaviors were assessed with the open field test (OFT) and their depression-like behaviors were assessed with the sucrose preference test (SPT), the forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to determine the levels of 6 monoamine neurotransmitters, including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (5-DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA), and 4 amino acids, including glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp), serine (Ser), and taurine (Tau), in the hippocampal region. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to examine the expression of glial cells in the hippocampal region of the mice. The main indicators measured were the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and amino acids.

  Results  According to the results of the behavioral analysis, in comparison with the findings for the control group, the 24-h SD mice exhibited increased consumption of sucrose in SFT, significantly decreased total immobility time in FST and TST, and increased total distance covered in OFT, while the 48-h SD mice showed decreased consumption of sucrose in SFT, prolonged total immobility time in FST and TST, and decreased total distance covered in OFT. The results of the HPLC analysis of the monoamine neurotransmitter showed that 24-h SD mice had in their hippocampal region increased levels of DA (P<0.001) and NE (P<0.01) and decreased levels of GABA (P<0.05) in comparison with those of the control mice, while their 5-HT, 5-DOPAC, and HVA levels were not significantly different from those of the control mice. In comparison with those of the control mice, the 48-h SD mice had, in their hippocampal region, decreased levels of 5-HT and NE (all P<0.05), decreased DA (P<0.01), and increased level of GABA (P<0.01), while the levels of 5-DOPAC and HAV were not significantly different. The 48-h SD group showed a significant decrease in the levels of Tau and Glu in comparison with those of the 24-h SD group (all P<0.05). According to the results of immunofluorescence assay, there was no significant difference between the control group and the 24-h SD group in the cell count of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells, while a decline in GFAP-positive cells in comparison with that of the control group was observed in the 48-h SD group.

  Conclusion   SD of 24 hours may induce anxiety-like behavioral changes in mice by activating their hippocampal glial cells, upregulating the levels of 5-HT, DA, and NE, and increasing the levels of Glu and Tau in the hippocampal region. SD of 48 hours may induce depression-like behavioral changes in mice by inhibiting the activation of glial cells in the hippocampal region and regulating in the opposite direction the levels of the above-mentioned monoamine neurotransmitters and amino acids in the hippocampal region.