Circadian clocks are intracellular molecular mechanisms that allow the cell to anticipate the time of day. We have previously reported that the intact rat heart expresses the major components of the circadian clock, of which its rhythmic expression in vivo is consistent with the operation of a fully functional clock mechanism. The present study exposes oscillations of circadian clock genes [bra...

BACKGROUND AMP protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role in food intake and energy metabolism, which are synchronized to the light-dark cycle. In vitro, AMPK affects the circadian rhythm by regulating at least two clock components, CKIα and CRY1, via direct phosphorylation. However, it is not known whether the catalytic activity of AMPK actually regulates circadian rhythm in vivo. METHODO...

N-Phthaloyl GABA was administrated daily (50 mg/Kg body weight-i.p) to Wistar rats for 21 days and circadian rhythms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were studied under constant light (LL) conditions. Delayed acrophase of TBARS and advanced acrophase of antioxidants (GSH, CAT and ...

The social environment influences the circadian clock of diverse animals, but little is known about the functional significance, the specifics of the social signals, or the dynamics of socially mediated changes in the clock. Honey bees switch between activities with and without circadian rhythms according to their social task. Forager bees have strong circadian rhythms, whereas "nurse" bees typ...

Psychosocial factors may modulate the course of cancer, but few data have been gathered on the biological mechanisms by which these effects may be mediated. We briefly review evidence of psychosocial effects on cancer progression and discuss one potential pathway that may underlie these effects: the disruption of neuroendocrine and immune circadian rhythms. Circadian system alterations occur in...

Circadian rhythms are regulated by transcriptional and post-translational feedback loops generated by appropriate functions of clock proteins. Rhythmic degradation of the circadian clock proteins is critical for maintenance of the circadian oscillations. Notably, circadian clock does not work during spermatogenesis and can be disrupted in tumors. However, the underlying mechanism that suppresse...

Alterations of drug efficacy by the circadian clock are a concern when assessing drug therapies. Circadian rhythms persist in some cancer cells and are repressed in others. A better understanding of circadian activities generated within cancer cells could indicate therapeutic approaches that selectively disrupt rhythms and deprive cells of any benefits provided by circadian timing. Another opti...

In most mammals, daily rhythms in physiology are driven by a circadian timing system composed of a master pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral oscillators in most body cells. The SCN clock, which is phase-entrained by light-dark cycles, is thought to synchronize subsidiary oscillators in peripheral tissues, mainly by driving cyclic feeding behavior. Here, we examined th...

Circadian rhythm dysfunction and cognitive decline, specifically memory loss, frequently accompany natural aging. Circadian rhythms and memory are intertwined, as circadian rhythms influence memory formation and recall in young and old rodents. Although, the precise relationship between circadian rhythms and memory is still largely unknown, it is hypothesized that circadian rhythm disruption, w...

Disruptions to circadian rhythm in mice and humans have been associated with an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome. The gut microbiota is known to be essential for the maintenance of circadian rhythm in the host suggesting a role for microbe-host interactions in the regulation of the peripheral circadian clock. Previous work suggested a role for gut bacterial bile salt hydrolase (...