Disrupting Rhythms: Diet-Induced Obesity Impairs Diurnal Rhythms in Metabolic Tissues

Disrupting Rhythms: Diet-Induced Obesity Impairs Diurnal Rhythms in Metabolic Tissues

Circadian rhythms are essential processes that coordinate the timing of basic organismal functions at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels. Oscillations are generated by the core molecular clock, which is composed of transcriptional activators (such as Bmal1 and Clock) and repressors (such as the Period gene family). These activators are present in many types of central and peripheral...

Parasite-induced alteration of diurnal rhythms in a freshwater snail.

The trematode Microphallus sp. alters the behavior of its snail intermediate host, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, in ways that seem to increase transmission to its final host, e.g., waterfowl, and decrease the probability of being eaten by other predators, e.g., fish. The parasite seems to cause the snail to move from the top to the bottom of rocks at about 0900 hr. Waterfowl feed predominantly befo...

Circadian Rhythms and Metabolic Syndrome

The incidence of the metabolic syndrome represents a spectrum of disorders that continue to increase across the industrialized world. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to metabolic syndrome and recent evidence has emerged to suggest that alterations in circadian systems and sleep participate in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this review, we highlight studies at the intersec...

Circadian Rhythms and Metabolic Syndrome

The incidence of the metabolic syndrome represents a spectrum of disorders that continue to increase across the industrialized world. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to metabolic syndrome and recent evidence has emerged to suggest that alterations in circadian systems and sleep participate in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this review, we highlight studies at the intersec...

Diet-Induced Obesity Impairs the T Cell