Acute Sleep Loss Increases Circulating Morning Levels of Two MicroRNAs Implicated in Neurodegenerative Disease in Healthy Young Men
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Chronic sleep disruption and shift work elevate the risk of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease (AD). While disrupted sleep affects canonical AD biomarkers, its impact on other mechanisms, such as circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), remains less understood. Therefore, we here examined the effects of overnight wakefulness on plasma levels of several miRNAs implicated in neurodegeneration and AD, as well as in sleep and circadian regulation-namely miR-127-3p, miR-132-3p, and miR-142-3p. Following a baseline period in each highly controlled in-lab session, in total 15 healthy normal-weight young men underwent two conditions on separate occasions, in randomised order: a night of normal sleep, and a night of sustained wakefulness. After overnight wakefulness, morning plasma levels of miR-127-3p and miR-142-3p were significantly elevated compared with post-sleep levels. These changes were not associated with the significant increase in self-reported morning stress levels observed after wakefulness compared with sleep. This study is the first to demonstrate that a single night of wakefulness-mimicking overnight shift work-significantly elevates circulating levels of miR-127-3p and miR-142-3p in humans. These findings, though based on a limited sample size, suggest a potential molecular link between sleep loss and neurodegeneration, warranting further investigation. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial number: NCT01800253; www.clinicaltrials.gov.
DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.70523
Institution: Uppsala University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,210
Funders: Swedish Cancer Foundation, European Commission, Cancerfonden, Göran Gustafssons Stiftelse för Naturvetenskaplig och Medicinsk Forskning, Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning, Hjärnfonden, Vetenskapsrådet, Magnus Bergvalls Stiftelse, Stiftelsen Familjen Ernfors Fond, Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd, Diabetesfonden, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Awards: G1315172008, Development of New and Novel Quality Control System for the Inspection of Titanium Components in Safety Critical Applications in the Aerospace Industry, G2375819008, G2773857961, Dynamic Modeling of Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes, G3852020784, Timing of physical exercise to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes: The role of circadian rhythms in metabolic tissues in humans, G5353644812, G6317404202, G660059695, Multidisciplinary Expert System for the Assessment & Management of Complex Brain Disorders, Sleep-mediated impact of physical exercise training on metabolic health, mood, and well-being of type II diabetes subjects in Uppsala county
OpenAlex ID: W4409277738