Differential effect of short-term REM sleep deprivation on NGF and BDNF protein levels in the rat brain

It is well known that REM sleep is associated with memory consolidation, especially, procedural skill learning. Neurotrophic factors are known to be involved in synaptic plasticity. We therefore investigated the effects of selective REM sleep deprivation (RSD) on NGF and BDNF proteins in the hippocampus, cerebellum and brainstem in the rat. NGF and BDNF were detected by an ELISA. Our findings show that 6 h RSD affected the NGF and BDNF protein levels in different manner. In the cerebellum and brainstem, BDNF was significantly decreased, while NGF was not changed. Conversely, in the hippocampus, NGF was significantly decreased while BDNF was not changed. This study indicates that REM sleep may be associated with the secretion of neurotrophic factors and thus contribute to the memory functions.