Acute partial sleep restriction does not impact arterial function in young and healthy humans

• Published in: Experimental physiology Vol. 109; no. 9; pp. 1492 - 1504
• Main Authors: Cherubini, Joshua M., Cheng, Jem L., Armstrong, Calvin M., Kamal, Michael J., Parise, Gianni, MacDonald, Maureen J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-09-2024; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Arteries - physiology; Arteries - physiopathology; Brachial Artery - diagnostic imaging; Brachial Artery - physiology; Brachial Artery - physiopathology; Cardiorespiratory fitness; Cardiorespiratory Fitness - physiology; Cardiovascular diseases; Cell culture; circadian rhythms; Endothelium, Vascular - physiology; Endothelium, Vascular - physiopathology; Experimental research; Female; Hemodynamics; Hemodynamics - physiology; Humans; Male; Sleep; Sleep - physiology; Sleep deprivation; Sleep Deprivation - physiopathology; sleep restriction; Structure-function relationships; vascular dynamics; Vasodilation - physiology; Young Adult; vascular dynamics; cardiorespiratory fitness; circadian rhythms; sleep restriction
• ISSN: 0958-0670; 1469-445X; 1469-445X
• DOI: 10.1113/EP091699

Habitual short sleep durations are associated with several cardiovascular diseases. Experimental research generally supports these findings as metrics of arterial function are impaired after complete deprivation of sleep and after longer periods of partial sleep restriction. The acute influence of a single instance of partial sleep restriction (PSR), however, has not been defined. We evaluated arterial structure and function among 32 university‐aged participants on two occasions: once after normal habitual sleep (NS), and again the morning after an acute partial sleep restriction (PSR) intervention involving only 3 h of sleep for a single night. Endothelial function was measured using ultrasonography at the brachial artery via flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD), and a ramp peak oxygen uptake test was used to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness. Blood samples were collected from a subset of participants to investigate the influence of circulatory factors on cellular mechanisms implicated in endothelial function. Sleep duration was lower after a night of PSR compared to NS (P < 0.001); however, there were no appreciable differences in any haemodynamic outcome between conditions. FMD was not different between NS and PSR (NS: 6.5 ± 2.9%; PSR: 6.3 ± 2.9%; P = 0.668), and cardiorespiratory fitness did not moderate the haemodynamic response to PSR (all P > 0.05). Ex vivo cell culture results aligned with in vivo data, showing that acute PSR does not alter intracellular processes involved in endothelial function. No differences in arterial structure or function were observed between NS and acute PSR in healthy and young participants, and cardiorespiratory fitness does not modulate the arterial response to acute sleep restriction.
What is the central question of the study?
Does a single night of restricted sleep alter indices of arterial structure and function? and if so what is the extent to which cardiorespiratory fitness might modulate the relationship between acute sleep perturbation and vascular function in humans?
What is the main finding and its importance?
One night of partial sleep restriction does not affect arterial function or structure in young and healthy humans, and arterial function may be sensitive to prolonged, but not necessarily acute, reductions in sleep durations.