Persistent alterations in glucose metabolism, gut microbiome, and adipose tissue transcriptome after two-week sleep recovery in chronically sleep-fragmented female mice

Introduction: Chronic sleep fragmentation (SF) is prevalent in contemporary human society, highlighting detrimental effects on glucose metabolism and adipose tissue morphology, which is closely linked to gut microbiota composition. However, it remains unclear whether sleep recovery (SR) after prolonged SF can ameliorate glucose metabolism, influence the transcriptome of inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), and whether these effects align with alterations in the gut microbiota. Methods: Mice were subjected to 8 weeks of SF and subsequently allowed 2 weeks of SR. We assessed glucose tolerance through intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (ipGTT), analyzed gut microbiota via 16s rDNA amplicon sequencing, and examined transcriptomic alterations in iWAT using RNA sequencing. Results: Despite the two-week SR following chronic SF, significant glucose intolerance persisted, accompanied by subtle shifts in the gut microbiota and alterations in gene expression within iWAT. The top hub genes Ncapg, Cenpe, and Tik were identified from the protein-protein interaction network. Conclusion: Even followed by a brief period of SR, prolonged SF still led to ongoing glucose intolerance and alterations in the adipose tissue transcriptome in mice. These changes were intertwined with modifications in the gut microbiome. The shifts in gut microbiota may play a pivotal role in understanding the sustained negative effects of SF.