Chronically disrupted sleep induces senescence in the visceral adipose tissue of C57BL/6 mice

Abstract

The role of sleep in systemic aging remains poorly understood, despite sleep’s essential function in preserving overall health and the prevalence of reduced sleep quality in modern society. Although reduced sleep correlates with an elevated risk of age-related diseases in humans, the mechanisms underlying this are unclear. In this study, we established a link between sleep and aging by demonstrating that disrupting sleep in C57BL/6 mice drives cellular senescence in the visceral adipose tissue. Sleep disruption also led to increased oxidative stress and DNA damage, both recognized triggers for senescence induction. Cellular senescence is implicated in numerous age-related conditions which are associated with insufficient sleep, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation. Our findings identify an accumulation of senescent cells in the adipose tissue, which serves as a potential target through which disturbed sleep accelerates the aging process and elevates the risk of age-related diseases.