A comparison of oleamide in the brains of hibernating and non-hibernating Richardson's ground squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii) and its inability to bind to brain fatty acid binding protein

Hibernation has been suggested to cause sleep debt, and since oleamide is elevated in the central nervous system of sleep-deprived mammals we hypothesized that brains from hibernating mammals would contain more oleamide than those that were not hibernating. Oleamide was 2.6-fold greater in brains of hibernating Richardson's ground squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii) than in euthermic brains. Additionally, brain fatty acid-binding protein did not bind oleamide and does not represent a solubilized pool of oleamide.

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