Effects of probiotic use on sleep, microbiota and behavior in sleep-related movement disorders

• Grant number: 25/05652-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Andrea Maculano Esteves
• Grantee: Ana Beatriz Profiro Lopes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Our understanding of sleep disorders and their consequences has grown exponentially in recent decades. Technological advances have enabled the objective monitoring of patients and the ability to determine the quantity and quality of sleep, the presence or absence of sleep disorders, and the physiological effects produced by sleep conditions. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an example of a sleep-related disorder, characterized primarily by the urge to move the legs. Many patients may suffer from insomnia due to the syndrome and may also experience periodic limb movements (PLM) during sleep. Thus, RLS affects sleep, mood, and quality of life and is frequently associated with metabolic, psychiatric, and cardiovascular diseases. Insufficient sleep is a key factor in the occurrence of intestinal diseases, including inflammatory conditions, pathogen accumulation and infiltration, and dysbiosis (an imbalance in the population of microorganisms in our gut). The treatment of RLS includes both pharmacological and non pharmacological interventions (e.g., exercise). However, the relationship between the action of probiotics and RLS symptoms remains unknown. Therefore, our study aims to analyze the effects of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 e e Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 on behavior, sleep quality, and the microbiota in an animal model of RLS. We will use male and female C57BL/6 mice, obtained from the colony of the Center for Animal Experimentation at UNICAMP (CEMIB). The animals will be divided into three groups (Control - CTRL, Iron Deficiency - ID, Iron Deficiency with Probiotic - ID+Prob) and will be housed in the animal facility under a 12-hour light/dark cycle and controlled temperature (22-24ºC), in groups of three per appropriate cage, with free access to water and food. At five weeks of age, the animals will begin the diet, and in the 13th week, behavioral testing and supplementation will commence. In the 16th week, the second behavioral test will be performed, followed by sleep surgery. In the 17th week, sleep recordings (PSG) will be conducted, and in the 18th week, the animals will be euthanized, and their tissues will be collected for analysis. (AU)