Chronic sleep restriction and physical activity
Description
This data is for a study titled: Chronic sleep restriction and physical activity: Effects on motor function, growth, and hormone levels in young rats.
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Physical Activity: The physical activity protocol was adapted from Zelinsky et al. (2013) and performed using a specialized rat treadmill. Animals in the PA groups underwent a one-week adaptation period, during which they ran on the treadmill for 5 minutes per day at a speed of 5–7 m/min. Following adaptation, rats in the PA and SD + PA groups exercised 5 days per week for 4 consecutive weeks. Each session lasted 60 minutes at a speed of 12 m/min, preceded by a 5-minute warm-up at 5 m/min. Sleep Deprivation: Chronic SD was implemented using a modified multi-platform device. The protocol primarily followed Yan et al. (2023), which describes chronic insomnia induction using unstable platforms surrounded by water. Rats in the SD groups were deprived of sleep for 18 hours per day, from the onset of the dark period (18:00) to 12:00 the following day. The SD apparatus consisted of a water tank (44 × 44 × 123 cm) containing circular platforms (6.5 cm diameter), with approximately 2 cm of each platform above the water surface. The number of platforms exceeded the number of rats, allowing the animals to move freely, and sufficient food and water were provided throughout the SD period. This method relies on muscle tone; when rats enter a sleep stage, they lose muscle tone, contact the water, and wake up. Prior to the experimental period, animals were habituated to the device for 3 consecutive days, 1 hour per day. Previous studies using modified multi-platform sleep deprivation, such as Wang et al. (2014), support the reliability of this approach for inducing SD in rats. Measurement of Anthropometric Indicators: Rats were weighed once a week using an accurate digital balance (AND brand, model ANDHL I, Japan) with a precision of 0.01 g. The height and length of their organs were measured before and after the experimental protocol using a caliper (Accud brand) with an accuracy of 0.02 mm. Motor Function: Open-field test was used to measure the motor activity of rats. This device is a method for determining the level of general activity, displacement, and exploratory behavior in rats. It consists of a square open box (68 × 68 × 30 cm) made of Plexiglas, forming the test environment with a black-colored surface. A camera equipped with infrared sensors is positioned 2.5 meters above the box to track the animals’ movements and transmit the data to a computer. Each rat was exposed to the open-field device for 5 minutes, and its movements were recorded by the system. The traveled distance and movement speed were used as parameters to assess the motor function of the rats. Level of Growth Hormone: Blood samples were collected from the rats and stored in a refrigerator for 30 minutes. The samples were then centrifuged at 1200 rpm for 10 minutes to separate the serum. The isolated serum was subsequently stored at –70 °C. Finally, the growth hormone levels in the rats were measured using an ELISA kit (R9648 0551 ZB, Cat. No.: Germany, Zellbio GmbH).
Institutions
- Shahid Beheshti University