Interleukin-Ibeta and Beta-Endorphin Orcadian Rhythms are Inversely Related in Normal and Stress-Altered Sleep

Abstract

Normal sleep is associated to physiological nocturnal rises in Interleukin 1β (IL 1β secretion. The 24 h pattern of IL 1β, β- Endorphin (βH), ACTH and Cortisol (F) production was evaluated in four male healthy volunteers. Two subjects were unable to sleep, due to the stress of the experiment; in these cases, no detectable plasma IL 1βcretion, both diurnal and nocturnal, was present, βH plasma levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in the subjects who slept regularly and, in one case, increased F plasma levels were also reported. A strong negative correlation between IL 1βd βH plasma levels was present in all the cases.

In conclusion, stress-induced sleep alterations might deeply affect both diurnal and nocturnal IL 1β plasma secretion, probably due to the hypofhalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) activation, and β EPH might be the reliable marker of the stress-induced HPAA activation level.

Key Words:

• Interleukin 1β
• β-Endorphin
• ACTH
• Cortisol
• sleep disturbances