Detection of sleep regulating genes by DNA microarray to apply for clinical anesthesia

睡眠和麻醉有共同的特点，例如失去意识。事实上，一些催眠药物如苯二氮卓类药物被用于临床麻醉领域。生理性睡眠还具有保护大脑、增强免疫系统等重要功能。近年来，人们对许多调节睡眠的内源性物质（睡眠因子）进行了研究。其中，白细胞介素-1、生长激素释放激素和前列腺素D2尤为显著。然而，目前尚不清楚哪种睡眠因素是最重要的。此外，睡眠和麻醉之间的关系还没有得到很好的研究。最后，将内源性睡眠因子应用于临床麻醉的研究几乎没有。在本研究中，我们通过DNA芯片检测了主要的睡眠相关基因。我们发现，睡眠剥夺8小时后，大鼠全脑内一些与内源性睡眠因子相关的基因，如白细胞介素-1和生长激素释放激素的表达增强。然后，我们发现睡眠剥夺使大鼠的麻醉效力增强。综上所述，一些睡眠因素或其相关物质可作为麻醉的补充。

Sleep and anesthesia have common characteristics, e.g. loss of consciousness. In deed, some hypnotic agents like benzodiazepines were used in the area of clinical anesthesia. Physiological sleep also has important functions including protection of brain or enhancement of immune system. Recently, many endogenous substances regulating sleep (sleep factors) were studied. Particularly, interleukin-1, growth hormone releasing hormone and prostaglandin D2 are very notable. However, it is still unknown what sleep factor is the most important. Furthermore, relationship between sleep and anesthesia is not studied so well. Finally, there is almost no study to apply the endogenous sleep factors for clinical anesthesia. In the present study, we detected main sleep related genes by DNA microarray. We found that expressions of some genes related to endogenous sleep factors, e.g. interleukin-1 and growth hormone releasing hormone, were enhances after 8-h sleep deprivation in the rat whole brain. Then, we found that sleep deprivation make the anesthetic potency strong in rats. In conclusion, some sleep factors or their related substances may be used as anesthetic supplements.