Links among poor sleep, high blood pressure, gut microbiome discovered
Study shows potential negative effects of disrupted sleep

Date:
September 2, 2020
Source:
University of Illinois at Chicago
Summary:
Researchers have found associations among disrupted sleep, elevated
blood pressure and changes in the gut microbiome. The research
aimed to determine whether a 28-day period of disrupted sleep
changed the microbiota in rats. The researchers also sought to
identify biological features associated with undesirable arterial
blood pressure changes.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In the first study of its kind, University of Illinois Chicago researchers
have found associations among disrupted sleep, elevated blood pressure
and changes in the gut microbiome.


==========================================================================
The research aimed to determine whether a 28-day period of disrupted
sleep changed the microbiota in rats. The gut microbiota refers to the collection of microorganisms living in the intestines. The researchers
also sought to identify biological features associated with undesirable arterial blood pressure changes.

The results were published in Physiological Genomics.

Using rats, the researcher disrupted their sleep periods. Rats are
nocturnal, so the experiments were designed to interfere with their
daytime sleep periods.

Telemetry transmitters measured the rats' brain activity, blood pressure
and heart rate. Fecal matter also was analyzed to examine changes in
the microbial content.

The research idea was generated by several of the paper's authors who
are or have been health care providers with night-shift schedules.

"When rats had an abnormal sleep schedule, an increase in blood pressure developed -- the blood pressure remained elevated even when they could
return to normal sleep. This suggests that dysfunctional sleep impairs
the body for a sustained period," Maki said.

Undesirable changes also were found in the gut microbiome -- the genetic material of all bacteria living in the colon.

Contrary to her initial hypothesis, Maki found that the gut microbiome
changes did not happen immediately, but instead took a week to show
unfavorable responses such as an imbalance among different types of
bacteria including an increase in microbes associated with inflammation.

"When the sleep disruption stopped, everything did not come back to normal immediately," Maki said. "This research shows a very complex system
with the presence of multiple pathological factors." This was initial research, and studies will continue to examine pathways involving the
gut microbiome and metabolites produced by gut bacteria. The researchers
will see exactly how sleep characteristics are changed and how long blood pressure and gut microbiome alterations persist. Researchers will then determine how this information translates to humans.

"We hope to find an intervention that can help people who are at risk for cardiovascular disease because of their work and sleep schedules. People
will always have responsibilities that interrupt their sleep. We want
to be able to reduce their risk by targeting the microbiome with new
therapies or dietary changes," Fink said.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_Illinois_at_Chicago. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Katherine A. Maki, Larisa A. Burke, Michael W. Calik, Miki Watanabe-
Chailland, Dagmar Sweeney, Lindsey E. Romick-Rosendale, Stefan
J. Green, Anne M. Fink. Sleep fragmentation increases blood pressure
and is associated with alterations in the gut microbiome and fecal
metabolome in rats. Physiological Genomics, 2020; 52 (7): 280 DOI:
10.1152/ physiolgenomics.00039.2020 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902182439.htm

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