Geranylgeranylacetone, an inducer of HSP 70, attenuates REM sleep rebound after sleep deprivation.

The effect of pretreatment of geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), an inducer of heat shock protein (HSP) 70, on responses in sleep and core body temperature (Tcore) against sleep deprivation (SD) was examined in rats. After 3 days of GGA or vehicle injection, a 6-h period of SD was performed. During the recovery period, both rapid-eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep were increased in both GGA- and vehicle-injected rats. However, in GGA-injected rats, REM-sleep rebound was significantly suppressed, while NREM-sleep rebound remained unaffected. In addition, the increase of Tcore caused by SD was also attenuated in GGA-injected rats. In the hippocampus, both SD and the GGA pretreatment induced an increase in the expression of HSP70 mRNA, indicating that the SD functions as a stress for hippocampal neurons and that the GGA induces HSP70 expression. The findings suggest that pretreatment with GGA suppresses REM sleep rebound and the response of Tcore against SD.