Lactobacillus fermentum PS150 promotes non-rapid eye movement sleep in the first night effect of mice

Alexander Lin,Ching-Ting Shih,Ying-Chieh Tsai,Cheryl C. H. Yang,Hsu-Feng Chu,Chien-Chen Wu,Chieh-Wen Chen,Yu-Ting Cheng

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95659-3

Abstract

The first night effect (FNE) is a type of sleep disturbance caused by an unfamiliar environment, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and reduced sleep duration. Previously, we reported that Lactobacillus fermentum PS150 (PS150) improves sleep conditions in a pentobarbital-induced sleep mouse model. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of PS150 on the FNE in mice. Briefly, mice were implanted with electrodes and orally administered PS150 for four weeks, and then the FNE was induced by cage changing. Analysis of polysomnographic signals revealed that intervention with PS150 restored non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep length under the FNE. Compared to diphenhydramine, a commonly used sleep aid, PS150 had no unwanted side effects, such as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation and fragmented sleep. Moreover, temporal analysis revealed that PS150 efficiently reduced both sleep latency and time spent restoring normal levels of REM sleep. Taken together, these results suggest that PS150 efficiently ameliorates sleep disturbance caused by the FNE. Additionally, V3–V4 16S rRNA sequencing revealed significant increases in Erysipelotrichia, Actinobacteria, and Coriobacteriia in fecal specimens of the PS150-treated group, indicating that PS150 induces gut microbiota remodeling.

Highlights

The first night effect (FNE) is a type of sleep disturbance caused by an unfamiliar environment, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and reduced sleep duration
DIPH treatment significantly reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which was not affected in the PS150 group (Fig. 2c)
We discovered that treatment with either DIPH or PS150 led to an increase in the number of shorter sleep bouts (Fig. S1b)

Summary

Introduction

The first night effect (FNE) is a type of sleep disturbance caused by an unfamiliar environment, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and reduced sleep duration. In addition to chronic factors, sudden changes in the environment, such as traveling or moving to a new place, cause insomnia This is called the first night effect (FNE), which can lead to various symptoms, including reduced total and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep length, reduced sleep efficiency, fragmented sleep, and increased sleep latency[3,4]. Many drugs are readily available to treat insomnia, including benzodiazepine receptor agonists, antihistamines, melatonin receptor agonists, anxiolytics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, the potential issue of drug dependence and abuse is concerning[7] These drugs are often accompanied by side effects, such as dizziness, headache, drowsiness, amnesia, and cognitive impairment, even leading to an increased risk of m ortality[1,8]. Probiotics that confer mental or behavioral benefits through the MGBA are called psychobiotics and have promising potential for future applications[17]

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