Sleep Deprivation's Regulation of Immune System Function and Behavior

Uppsala University18 enrolled

Overview

The study proposes to investigate whether sleep deprivation will affect a variety of measures, including hormones, immune system functioning, and behaviors related to food intake and hunger. It is predicted that sleep deprivation will affect circulating neutrophil activity, and do so via affects on DNA methylation. It is also predicted that sleep deprivation will up-regulate ghrelin, and down-regulate circulating oxytocin. Finally, it is predicted that sleep deprivation will increase participants' tendencies to pick larger portions of food, and also increase their tendency to purchase foods that are more caloric in a mock supermarket scenario.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Sleep Deprivation Sleep

Interventions

Blood samplePROCEDURE

After a night of wakefulness, a blood sample was taken to assess the level and efficacy of circulating neutrophils, as well as to assay blood serum and plasma for the presence of hormones involved in hunger such as oxytocin and ghrelin

Eligibility

Sex: MALEHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Male * Age 18-35y * Healthy (self-reported) and not on medication * Non-smoking * Normal sleep-wake rhythm (i.e. 7-8 h per night, self-reported) Exclusion Criteria: * Major illness * Taking any serious medications * Any sleep conditions (e.g. irregular bedtimes, sleep complaints) * Any dietary issues with the food items provided * A history of endocrine or psychiatric disorders

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Neutrophil phagocytotic function production

This project is designed to test the inflammatory capacity of circulating neutrophils. It also aims to investigate if any changes in neutrophil efficacy are governed by alterations in DNA methylation. Measured during 36 hours (at 1930 day 1, 0730 and 1930 day 2, 0730 day 3)

Time frame: Change in 4 neutrophil phagocytotic function from baseline to 36hours later (after the nighttime intervention)

Secondary Outcomes

Portion Size Task

Participants will be evaluated on their tendency to choose larger or smaller portions of a variety of meal items on a computer screen. This will be conducted both following sleep deprivation and sleep, and changes over the hour will be compared between these conditions.

Time frame: Change in selected portion size from baseline to 1 hr after consuming a caloric preload

Neuro-economics task

Participants will be evaluated on their purchasing behavior with regards to high-calorie and low-calorie food items in a mock supermarket scenario following sleep and sleep deprivation.

Time frame: Change in purchasing behaviour 1 hr after consuming a caloric preload

Circulating hormone levels

Participants will have their circulating hormone levels taken and analyzed, including ghrelin and oxytocin, to determine if sleep deprivation alters hormone levels related primarily to obesity or weight gain

Time frame: Change in circulating hormone levels from baseline (ie. 1930 - before sleep intervention) to 12hr later (0730 after the nighttime intervention)