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(Hypertension. 2009;53:251.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Articles

Sleep Modulates Hypertension in Leptin-Deficient Obese Mice

Alessandro Silvani; Stefano Bastianini; Chiara Berteotti; Carlo Franzini; Pierluigi Lenzi; Viviana Lo Martire; Giovanna Zoccoli

From the Department of Human and General Physiology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Correspondence to Giovanna Zoccoli, Department of Human and General Physiology, University of Bologna, Piazza di Porta San Donato 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. E-mail giovanna.zoccoli{at}unibo.it

Leptin increases sympathetic activity, possibly contributing to hypertension in obese subjects. Hypertension increases cardiovascular mortality, with nighttime (sleep) blood pressure having a substantial prognostic value. We measured blood pressure in male leptin-deficient obese mice (ob/ob; n=7) and their lean wild-type littermates (+/+; n=11) during wakefulness, non–rapid-eye-movement sleep, and rapid-eye-movement sleep to investigate whether, in the absence of leptin, derangements of blood pressure are still associated with obesity and depend on the wake-sleep state. Mice were implanted with a telemetric pressure transducer and electrodes for discriminating wake-sleep states. Mean blood pressure was significantly higher in ob/ob than in +/+ mice during wakefulness (7.3±2.6 mm Hg) and non–rapid-eye-movement sleep (6.7±2.8 mm Hg) but not during rapid-eye-movement sleep (2.6±2.6 mm Hg). In ob/ob and +/+ mice, mean blood pressure was substantially higher during wakefulness than during non–rapid-eye-movement sleep. On passing from non–rapid-eye-movement sleep to rapid-eye-movement sleep, mean blood pressure decreased significantly in ob/ob but not in +/+ mice. The time spent during wakefulness was lower in ob/ob than in +/+ mice during the dark (active) period, whereas the opposite occurred during the light (rest) period. Consequently, mean blood pressure was significantly higher in ob/ob than in +/+ mice during the light (8.2±2.4 mm Hg) but not during the dark (3.0±2.9 mm Hg) period. These data suggest that, in the absence of leptin, obesity may entail hypertensive derangements of blood pressure, which are substantially modulated by the cardiovascular effects of the wake-sleep states.

Key Words: arterial pressure • behavior • heart rate • hypertension • obesity • investigative techniques • mice