Characterization of sleep‐related neurochemicals at different developmental stages and insomnia models of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating the physiological activity of the animal, especially in emotion and sleep, whereas nucleotides are involved in almost all cellular processes. However, the characteristics of sleep-related neurochemicals under different life cycles and environments remain poorly understood. A rapid and sensitive analytical method was established with LC-MS/MS to determine eight endogenous neurochemicals in Drosophila melanogaster, and their levels in the different developmental stages of D. melanogaster were evaluated. The results indicated that there were significant discrepancies among different stages, especially from the pupal stage to the adult stage. The levels of these compounds in the caffeine-induced insomnia model of D. melanogaster were investigated. Compared with the normal group, the eight endogenous metabolites did not fluctuate significantly in insomnia D. melanogaster, which may be due to the mechanism of caffeineinduced insomnia through other pathways, such as adenosine. The results provide a reference for decoding neurochemicals involved in the development of the full cycle of mammalian life and the exploration of insomnia and even other mental diseases induced by exogenous substances in the future.