Discovered the reason why lack of sleep is killing

Lack of sleep will inevitably lead to death

In modern society to sacrifice sleep: first for kindergarten, then school, College and eventually work. In 2015 Oxford University Professor Paul Kelly, speaking at the British festival of science, equated working day from 09:00 to 17:00 to torture, calling an early rise the most common form of civilized torture. Lack of sleep makes people more obedient, they are worse to think, feel lethargy and easier to manage, but the complete lack of sleep kills, but the exact causes scientists do not know. Moreover, long-term wakefulness is killing both people and animals. The results of a new study on flies fruit flies showed that when fruit flies die from insomnia, shifts, leading to death, occur not in the brain but in the gut.

Why lack of sleep is killing?

The First signs of lack of sleep sleep well known: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, possible irritability or even a tired giggle. Far fewer people experienced the consequences of long-term sleep deprivation, including disorientation, paranoia and hallucinations. However, total, prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to death. And, while we're about it kidding, a widely-quoted study on rats conducted in 1989 by researchers from the University of Chicago, showed that the complete lack of sleep inevitably leads to death. But despite decades of research, the main question remains unanswered: why do animals die when you are not sleeping?

Neuroscientists from Harvard Medical school (HMS) have revealed an unexpected causal link between lack of sleep and premature death. In a study of sleep-deprived fruit flies in the journal Cell on 4 June 2020, scientists have discovered that death is always preceded by the accumulation of molecules known as reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the gut.

When fruit flies were given antioxidant compounds, neutralizing and removing the AFC from the bowel, sleep-deprived flies remained active and had a normal lifespan. Additional experiments in mice confirmed that ROS accumulate in the intestines when you lack sleep. The obtained results allow to assume that animals really can survive without sleep under certain circumstances. Moreover, the work will open new directions of research to fully understand the consequences of sleep deprivation.

a Chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of developing serious diseases.

As News Harvard Gazette the study's lead author Dragan Rogulev, in the course of work, the team chose an unbiased approach and searched for signs of damage from lack of sleep. Finding that the intestine plays a key role in causing death, the scientists were surprised. But even more surprising was the fact that the premature death can be prevented.

Scientists have been studying sleep – a fundamental, largely mysterious phenomenon. Almost every known living being is asleep or has some form of sleepless behavior, and fraught with serious consequences. Data from numerous studies found a link between regular sleep deprivation and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression and many other conditions. The results also that prolonged, complete sleep deprivation can lead to premature death in animals. Attempts to find out what is the driver of death due to sleep deprivation, the attention of scientists was drawn to the brain, where the dream is born, but to no avail.

What happens in the gut?

In the study, researchers found that sleep-deprived fruit flies every time I died in the same pace. By studying markers for damage and cell death, the only fabric that really stood out was the intestines. The team also investigated whether the accumulation of ROS in other species of animals. Compared to laboratory mice with a usual mode of sleep/wakefulness in mice deprived of sleep for five days, the ROS levels in small intestine and colon were increased. In other organs there were no changes, like fruit flies.

Fruit flies – are the real heroes of scientific research

To find out whether AFC in the gut the cause of death caused by the sleep deprivation, the researchers decided to determine whether preventing the accumulation of ROS prolong life. After testing dozens of compounds with antioxidant properties, neutralizing the AFC, the authors identified 11 compounds, the use of which (as food additives) has resulted in sleepless flies have normal or near normal life expectancy. Compounds such as melatonin and lipoic acid has been particularly effective in the purification of intestines from the AFC. It is noteworthy that the additives did not increase the lifespan of flies, not suffering from sleep deprivation.

Thus, the accumulation of ROS in the intestine plays a Central role in premature death from lack of sleep, but many questions remain unanswered. So, the reason why sleep loss causes the accumulation of ROS in the intestine and why it is deadly is unknown. Lack of sleep can directly affect on the intestines, but the trigger may also occur in thethe brain. Similarly, death may occur due to injury of the intestine or due to the fact that high ROS levels have a systemic effect on the body, or both.