Minocycline Attenuated Depressive-Like Phenotype in Sleep-Deprived Mice via its Antioxidant Effect

Introduction: Central nervous system (CNS) neuropathologies are the most common effects of insufficient sleep/prolonged wakefulness. This puts people who undergo sleep deprivation in the course of their daily lives at risk of certain affective disorders such as depression. Minocycline is an antibiotic that can penetrate the CNS, which puts it at the forefront of numerous neuropathologies. This research was therefore intended to investigate into the possible anti-depressant effect of minocycline in mice exposed to chronic sleep deprivation. Methods: Thirty (30) mice were grouped into five (n=6) and treated with either distilled water, minocycline or astaxanthin. Four out of the five groups were exposed to the sleep deprivation set-up. After a 7-day treatment, all groups were subjected to behavioural tests. Subsequently, biochemical assays and histology of selected brain regions were carried out. Experimental data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance and another post-hoc test. Results: Results obtained suggest that minocycline attenuated the alterations in mood behaviour caused by sleep deprivation with a concurrent reversal of sleep-deprivation induced oxidative stress in mice. Conclusion: In conclusion, minocycline could be considered a reliable intervention in further studies on depression in sleep deprivation models.