A Prebiotic Blend of Polydextrose and Galactooligosaccharides with Bioactive Whey Protein Fractions Ameliorates Stress‐evoked Disruptions in Sleep States

Abstract

Stressor exposure can produce disruptions in sleep that may contribute to altered behavioral phenotypes. Prebiotics can selectively promote the expansion of microbial species in the mammalian gut that may increase stress robustness. Previous studies showed that a prebiotic blend of polydextrose (PDX) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) increase Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in fecal samples. In this study, we hypothesized that an experimental diet would modulate the sleep cycle and protect sleep architecture following stress. Male F344 rats, postnatal day 24 (P24), were placed on either a diet containing a prebiotic blend of PDX and GOS with bioactive whey protein fractions (TEST) or a control diet. Fecal samples were collected and telemetry devices were implanted to examine differences in sleep across development. Rats were exposed to an acute stressor on P87 to examine the effects of the TEST diet on stress-induced disruptions of sleep. Rats fed the TEST diet, when compared with rats fed the control diet, had equal weight gain and greater NREM sleep consolidation in early adulthood. Rats fed the TEST diet also displayed enhanced REM rebound after stress. These results demonstrate that the selected dietary factors can increase NREM sleep consolidation and protect against REM sleep disruptions. Future research will examine if other functional outcomes, such as cognitive processes, may be associated with these changes in sleep parameters.