Objective      To determine the effect of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation on the proliferation and apoptosis of hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons in rats.       Methods      Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: cage control group (CC)

sleep deprivation group (SD) and sleep revival group (RS). The modified multiple platform method was used to establish sleep

deprivation model for 72-hour REM sleep deprivation in rats. Immunohistochemical assay was used to observe the neuron proliferation and differentiation in the dentate gyrus of rats

while the apoptosis of hippocampal neuron was detected by TUNEL assay. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of newborn neurons’ biomarker

microtubule-associated protein

doublecortin (DCX)

and astrocytes’ biomarker

glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.        Results      The average numbers of BrdU positive cells were significantly lower in SD and RS groups than in CC group (

P

0.01)

but there was no significant difference between the former 2 groups. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the majority of BrdU positive cells were DCX positive cells. There was no significant difference in the phenotype of BrdU positive cells (BrdU/DCX and BrdU/GFAP) between each group. No TUNEL positive cells were seen in the hippocampus of all groups.       Conclusion      REM sleep deprivation inhibits the neuron proliferation in the dentate gyrus of rats

and there is no significant improvement after short-term sleep revival. However

the sleep deprivation has no effect on the differentiation and apoptosis in hippocampal neurons.