How monocytes and TNF control life-saving sleep

A study found that immune cells rush to the brain and promote deep sleep afterwards heart attack . This helps the body regenerate by reducing swelling in the heart .

Published on October 30 in the journal Nature, the findings suggest that such findings could help guide the care of patients after a heart attack. Getting enough sleep and rest after an attack can have a significant impact on subsequent heart recovery, as evidenced by studies of immune system function in the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

The results of the work are relevant not only for cardiovascular diseases. Scientists at the University of Colorado note that with any injury, the body seeks more sleep to support the natural healing process.

Sleep for heart health

That has been known for a long time sleep and heart health are linked . For example, people who suffer from insomnia have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure. However, less research has been done on how heart disease affects sleep.

To study this relationship, scientists induced heart attacks in laboratory mice and analyzed their brain waves. It turned out that the time was spent in such mice slow sleep – a deep level of sleep associated with tissue healing.

Researchers have discovered that after a heart attack, immune cells called monocytes accumulate in the brain. These cells do damage TNF (tumor necrosis factor) protein which plays an important role in regulating inflammation and promoting sleep.

To test their idea, the scientists prevented the accumulation of monocytes in the brains of mice. As a result, the animals did not experience an increase in slow-wave sleep after a heart attack, confirming the role of monocytes in causing additional sleep. Similar experiments have proven that TNF is a signal for sleep, providing signals to sleepy brain cells.

Sleep as a pathway to recovery

To find out the reason for the extra sleep, the researchers again stopped deep sleep in mice that had suffered a heart attack. They found that these mice had more inflammation in both the brain and heart and had a worse prognosis for recovery compared to mice that were allowed to sleep peacefully after the attack.

Patients who underwent acute coronary syndrome . People who complained of poor sleep in the weeks following the attack had a higher risk of recurrent heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems over the next two years compared to those who had good sleep quality.

With this data, experts believe that patients after a heart attack must be educated about the importance of getting enough sleep. It is also worth reviewing the examination regimes and procedures in the hospital, carrying them out during the day so as not to disturb the sleep of patients at night.