Cerebral capillary blood flow upsurge during REM sleep is mediated by A2a receptors

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109558
• Publication Date: 2021-08-17T14:47:43Z
• Authors: Chia-Jung Tsai; Takeshi Nagata; Chih-Yao Liu; Takaya Suganuma; Takeshi Kanda; Takehiro Miyazaki; Kai Liu; Tsuyoshi Saitoh; Hiroshi Nagase; Michael Lazarus; Kaspar E. Vogt; Masashi Yanagisawa; Yu Hayashi
• Keywords: Sleep; Neuroscience of sleep

Sleep is generally viewed as a period of recovery, but how the supply cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes across sleep/wake states has remained unclear. Here, we directly observe red cells (RBCs) within capillaries, where actual substance exchange between and neurons/glia occurs, by two-photon microscopy. Across multiple cortical areas, average capillary CBF largely increased during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, whereas it does not differ periods active wakefulness non-REM sleep. Capillary RBC REM sleep further elevated following deprivation, suggesting that reflects pressure. At molecular level, signaling via adenosine A2a receptors crucial; in A2a-KO mice, upsurge dampened, effects pressure are abolished. These results provide evidence regarding dynamics insights to underlying mechanisms.