High-Salt Diet Causes Sleep Fragmentation in Young Drosophila Through Circadian Rhythm and Dopaminergic Systems

Abstract

Salt (sodium chloride) is an essential dietary requirement, but excessive consumption has long-term adverse consequences. A high-salt diet (HSD) increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and diabetes and is also associated with poor sleep quality. Little is known, however, about the neural circuit mechanisms that mediate HSD-induced sleep changes. In this study, we sought to identify the effects of HSD on the sleep and related neural circuit mechanisms of Drosophila. Strikingly, we found that HSD causes young Drosophila to exhibit a fragmented sleep phenotype similar to that of normal aging individuals. Importantly, we further showed that HSD slightly impairs circadian rhythms and that the HSD-induced sleep changes are dependent on the circadian rhythm system. In addition, we demonstrated that HSD-induced sleep changes are dopaminergic-system dependent. Together, these results provide insight into how elevated salt in the diet can affect sleep quality.

Heterogeneous expression of dopaminergic markers and Vglut2 in mouse mesodiencephalic dopaminergic nuclei A8–A13

“…The supplier reports that the AB152 successfully labeled TH in the striatum, sympathetic nerve terminals and adrenal glands. Staining of brain TH cells is significantly decreased in heterozygous TH‐knockout flies (Xie et al, 2019). In mice, AB152 was used in many studies for immunostaining of midbrain DA neurons in brain slices (e.g., Baron, Ratzka, & Grothe, 2012; Hennis, Seamans, Marvin, Casey, & Goldberg, 2013; Lobb, Zaheer, Smith, & Jaeger, 2013).…”

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Score and Its Association with Sleep Quality in a National Survey of Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women

“…Although the DASH sodium component was not significant in this study, it is recognized that high-salt diets can affect sleep quality. Xie et al found that young Drosophila on high-salt diet exhibit a fragmented sleep phenotype similar to that of normal aging individuals [69]. The induced sleep changes were attributed to impaired circadian rhythms and were dopaminergic system dependent [69].…”

“…Xie et al found that young Drosophila on high-salt diet exhibit a fragmented sleep phenotype similar to that of normal aging individuals [69]. The induced sleep changes were attributed to impaired circadian rhythms and were dopaminergic system dependent [69]. It is worth noting that approximately 10% of our selected sample were hypertensive with systolic blood pressure ≥150 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg (7.2% in the 30-59 yo group; 20.1% in the 60+ yo group, P < 0.05, Wald test for age group difference), with no gender differences.…”

High-Salt Diet Impairs the Neurons Plasticity and the Neurotransmitters-Related Biological Processes

“…Most people consume excessive amounts of salt-on average, about twice the maximum recommended amount [4]. An HSD can also negatively impact brain health, causing deficits in behavior and physiological processes such as cognitive function [5][6][7] and sleep [8,9]. However, how an HSD affects brain neuron function is still unclear.…”