Effects of chronic sleep deprivation on glucose homeostasis in rats

Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic sleep disturbances resulted in metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) and the glucose homeostasis in rats. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into CSD group and control (CON) group. The CSD rats were intervened by a modified multiple platform method (MMPM) to establish an animal model of chronic sleep disturbances. After 3-month intervention, all rats were subjected to an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and an insulin tolerance test (ITT), and the body weight, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, lipid profile group, and homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) were measured. Both the CSD and CON groups had an attenuation of weight gain after 3-month intervention. The plasma glucose level of CSD group was higher than that of the CON group during the IPGTT (P < 0.01). The CSD rats showed a marked increase in HOMA-IR and ITT compared with the CON group (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences of AST, ALT, creatinine, and most lipid parameters between the CSD and CON groups (P > 0.05). The CSD has a marked effect on glucose homeostasis, comprising glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.