Changes in sleep in response to intracerebral injection of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IFG-1) in the rat.

Changes in sleep were studied during 6 hours after intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) or the structurally related insulin. IGF-1 was injected either at dark onset (0.05 or 0.5 microgram) or 6 hours after light onset (0.05, 0.5, or 5.0 microgram). The small dose of IGF-1 consistently, albeit modestly, enhanced NREMS over the 6 hour postinjection period in both the dark and the light cycles (REMS increased only at night). The NREMS-promoting activity vanished when the dose was increased to 0.5 microgram, and 5.0 microgram IGF-1 elicited a marked and prompt suppression in NREMS. Heat-inactivated IGF-1 (0.05 microgram) did not alter sleep. On a molar base, the NREMS-promoting dose of insulin was higher than that of IGF-1. Late (hours 7-17 postinjection) enhancements in EEG slow wave activity during NREMS were observed after 5.0 microgram IGF-1. The results indicate that IGF-1 can promote NREMS and may contribute to the mediation of the effects of GH on sleep. The acute sleep-suppressive activity of the high dose of IGF-1 is attributed to an inhibition of endogenous growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).