Abstract
Abstract
Sleep deprivation (SD) impairs cognitive function through oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuroendocrine dysregulation, whereas recovery sleep may not fully reverse these alterations. Silibinin possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties; however, its potential to facilitate recovery following prolonged SD remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of silibinin on cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal alterations induced by 5 days of SD, with or without a subsequent 24-h recovery period, in rats. Forty-eight adult male rats were allocated to control (
n
= 16), SD (
n
= 8), SD + recovery (
n
= 8), SD + silibinin (
n
= 8), and SD + silibinin + recovery (
n
= 8) groups. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Open Field Test, Morris Water Maze, and Y-Maze. Serum oxidative stress (MDA and SOD), inflammatory (TNF-α and IL-6), and hormonal biomarkers were evaluated. Hippocampal BDNF and CaMKII levels, histopathological changes, and the immunohistochemical expression of PCNA, synaptophysin, and GFAP were also assessed. SD significantly impaired cognitive performance (
P
P
P
P
P
P
< 0.05), restoring most parameters to levels comparable to those of the control group. These findings suggest that silibinin protects against SD-induced cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal injury by attenuating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuroendocrine disturbances while enhancing recovery during subsequent recovery sleep.