Aim: To investigate if sleep deprivation is able to increase the expression of inducible heat shock protein 70 in gastric mucosa and its possible role in mucosal defense.
Methods: Rats for sleep disruption were placed inside a computerized rotating drum, gastric mucosa was taken from rats with 1, 3 and 7d sleep deprivation. RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to determine the expression of heat shock protein 70. Ethanol (500mL.L(-1), i.g.) was used to induce gastric mucosa damage.
Results: RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunostaining confirmed that the sleep deprivation as a stress resulted in significantly greater expression of inducible heat shock protein 70 in gastric mucosa of rats. After the 500mL.L(-1) ethanol challenge, the ulcer area found in the rats with 7d sleep deprivation (19.15 +/- 4.2)mm(2) was significantly lower (P<0.01) than the corresponding control (53.7 +/- 8.1) mm(2).
Conclusion: Sleep deprivation as a stress, in addition to lowering the gastric mucosal barrier, is able to stimulate the expression of inducible heat shock protein 70 in gastric mucosa of rats, the heat shock protein 70 may play an important role in gastric mucosal protection.