GABA-Positive Astrogliosis in Sleep-Promoting Areas Associated with Sleep Disturbance in 5XFAD Mice

Sleep disturbances, a debilitating symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are associated with neuropathological changes. However, the relationship between these disturbances and regional neuron and astrocyte pathologies remains unclear. This study examined whether sleep disturbances in AD result from pathological changes in sleep-promoting brain areas. Male 5XFAD mice underwent electroencephalography (EEG) recordings at 3, 6, and 10 months, followed by an immunohistochemical analysis of three brain regions associated with sleep promotion. The findings showed that 5XFAD mice demonstrated reduced duration and bout counts of nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep by 6 months and reduced duration and bout counts of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep by 10 months. Additionally, peak theta EEG power frequency during REM sleep decreased by 10 months. Sleep disturbances correlated with the total number of GFAP-positive astrocytes and the ratio of GFAP- and GABA-positive astrocytes across all three sleep-associated regions corresponding to their roles in sleep promotion. The presence of GABRD in sleep-promoting neurons indicated their susceptibility to inhibition by extrasynaptic GABA. This study reveals that neurotoxic reactive astrogliosis in NREM and REM sleep-promoting areas is linked to sleep disturbances in 5XFAD mice, which suggests a potential target for the treatment of sleep disorders in AD.