Role of Shh/Gli1 signaling pathway in sleep deprivation-induced cognitive impairment in young mice / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the role of sonic hedgehog (Shh)/glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) signaling pathway in sleep deprivation-induced cognitive impairment in young mice.Methods:Forty-eight SPF healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 4 weeks, weighing 14-16 g, were divided into 3 groups ( n=16 each) by the random number table method: control group (C group), sleep deprivation group (SD group) and Shh agonist SAG group (SD+ SAG group). Multi-platform water environment method was used to prepare the sleep deprivation model in mice, and the sleep deprivation was 20 h a day for 10 consecutive days.In SD+ SAG group, SAG 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 5 min before each sleep deprivation, while the equal volume of normal saline was intraperitoneally injected in group C and group SD.The mice underwent novel object recognition and Y-maze tests at 24 h after development of the model.Mice were sacrificed after the behavioral testing, and the hippocampi were isolated for determination of the density of dendritic spines in hippocampal CA1 region (by Golgi staining), expression of Gli1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampal tissues (by Western blot), and expression of Gli1 and BDNF mRNA in hippocampal tissues (by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction). Results:Compared with group C, the preference index in novel object recognition and Y-maze tests and density of dendritic spines in CA1 region were significantly decreased, and the expression of Gli1 and BDNF protein and mRNA in hippocampus was down-regulated in group SD ( P<0.05). Compared with group SD, the preference index in novel object recognition and Y-maze tests and density of dendritic spines in CA1 region were significantly increased, and the expression of Gli1 and BDNF protein and mRNA in hippocampus was up-regulated in group SD+ SAG ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Inhibition of Shh/Gli1 signaling pathway and reduction of plasticity of dendritic spines of hippocampal neurons are involved in sleep deprivation-induced cognitive impairment in young mice.