The effects of sleep deprivation on dopaminergic systems remain elusive, in part due to the lack of selective ligands for dopamine receptor subtypes. We examined D1, D2, and D3 receptor density in the mouse brain after sleep deprivation by receptor autoradiography using [H]SCH 23390 for D1R, [H]raclopride for D2R, and [H]WC-10 for D3R (a novel D3R-selective compound developed in our laboratory, not previously reported in mouse). Sleep-deprived mice showed a significant decrease in D1R, no change in D2R, and a significant increase in D3R binding in striatum. This pattern of dopamine receptor changes was not seen in mice subjected to restraint stress, suggesting specificity to sleep. These data provide evidence that brain dopaminergic circuits are remodeled after sleep deprivation.
