Effects of Kamikihito and Unkei-to on Sleep Behavior of Wild Type and Parkinson Model in Drosophila

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, and it is associated with sleep behavior disorders. In Drosophila melanogaster disease model, human α-synuclein A30P overexpressing flies (A30P PD model) have been shown for levy body aggregation and movement disorders. We measured sleep rhythms in the A30P PD model flies using the Drosophila Activity Monitoring system and found that they develop sleep defects at 20 days after eclosion. Furthermore, the total amount of sleep is significantly reduced in middle-aged PD model flies and the reduction has been attributed to nighttime sleep. The number and length of sleep bouts also decreased in middle-aged A30P PD model flies. Feeding of the oriental traditional herbal medicines (Kampo), Kamikihito and Unkei-to significantly ameliorate the level of sleep defects in A30P PD model flies. The Kamikihito and Unkei-to recovered 60-min sleep bouts number in the A30P PD model flies to the level of young (5 days after eclosion) flies. Kamikihito recovered sleep both in wild-type and PD model flies. Unkei-to ameliorates not only sleep but also motor function in PD model flies. The data suggest that Kamikihito and Unkei-to might be useful for the sleep defects in human PD patients as well as healthy human.

Effects of an electric field on sleep quality and life span mediated by ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME in Drosophila

“…Nighttime sleep was analyzed after daytime EF (DEF) or nighttime EF (NEF) exposure to EF (AC35 kV/m, 50-Hz) for 12 h. ( b ) Comparison of DEF and NEF exposure (shown above) on nighttime sleep between WT Drosophila on day 2. Averaged number of sleep bout, averaged length of sleep bout, and total sleep were calculated from locomotor activity data as reported by Ito et al 25 . Error bars indicate standard deviation.…”

The Importance of Drosophila melanogaster Research to UnCover Cellular Pathways Underlying Parkinson’s Disease

“…Dementia or memory and learning difficulties have been observed in Pink1- and Parkin-deficient flies [ 196 ] and in alpha-synuclein overexpressing flies [ 197 ]; however, mechanistic insights in the development of these phenotypes have yet to be discovered. Furthermore, aged flies overexpressing the human alpha-synuclein A30P develop fragmentation of sleep that could be improved by treatment with sleep-promoting substances such as Kamikihito and Unkei-to [ 198 ]. In addition to identifying potential novel drugs to relieve sleep defects, studies in flies have also contributed to understanding the underlying mechanisms that cause these sleep defects.…”

Effects of a 50-Hz electric field on sleep quality and life span mediated by ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME inDrosophila melanogaster

“…The tubes were then transferred to a Drosophila Activity Monitoring (DAM) system (TriKinetics Inc., Waltham, MA, USA) and locomotor activity was measured in 1-min bins. Sleep was defined as > 5 min of consolidated inactivity (17,18)and > 60 min for more detailed analysis.…”