Sleepless nights may be bad for the stomach

April 13, 2001

By Mulvihill

NEW YORK, Apr 12 (Reuters Health) - Bad news for people with insomnia or

those who like to burn the midnight oil--you may be at increased risk for

ulcers, according to a report published in the current issue of the journal

Gut.

Researchers in the UK have discovered that the protein TFF2, which aids in

stomach lining repair, mostly acts during the night when we sleep.

" The stomach is continually susceptible to damage due to the intake of food,

which can be abrasive, or due to chemicals such as alcohol. The lining is

continually repaired, which prevents the establishment of erosions or

ulcers, " lead author Dr. Felicity May, of the University of Newcastle upon

Tyne, told Reuters Health in an interview.

" It is known that TFF2 is expressed at much higher levels in ulcerative

conditions, and it is thought that this facilitates the repair of the

ulcer, " she added.

In an effort to determine if TFF2 follows the pattern of the body's natural

sleep-wake cycle--known as circadian rhythm--May and her colleagues

evaluated the concentrations of TFF2 in 12 volunteers aged 20 to 24 years.

The participants had 12 samples of gastric juices collected from their

stomachs over a 24-hour period.

The researchers found that the concentrations of TFF2 were generally low

during the day and dropped after food intake. Concentrations rose sharply

during inactivity and sleep.

" The key finding is the dramatic circadian rhythm of gastric TFF2, which

suggests that repair processes may occur predominantly at night, " May told

Reuters Health.

Since the primary function of TFF2 is thought to be the maintenance of the

lining of the stomach and its concentrations are highest at night, May

speculates that those who don't get adequate sleep may be depriving their

bodies of much needed down time for stomach lining repair.

However, the study did not attempt to prove that lack of sleep causes

ulcers, May stressed.

SOURCE: Gut 2001;48:648-655.

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