Maternal circadian rhythms and the programming of adult health and disease

The in utero environment is inherently rhythmic, with the fetus subjected to circadian changes in temperature, substrates, and various maternal hormones. Meanwhile, the fetus is developing an endogenous circadian timing system, preparing for life in an external environment where light, food availability, and other environmental factors change predictably and repeatedly every 24 h. In humans, there are many situations that can disrupt circadian rhythms, including shift work, international travel, insomnias, and circadian rhythm disorders (e.g., advanced/delayed sleep phase disorder), with a growing consensus that this chronodisruption can have deleterious consequences for an individual’s health and well-being. However, the impact of chronodisruption during pregnancy on the health of both the mother and fetus is not well understood. In this review, we outline circadian timing system ontogeny in mammals and examine emerging research from animal models demonstrating long-term negative implications for progeny health following maternal chronodisruption during pregnancy.

Download Full-text

The impact of the circadian timing system on cardiovascular and metabolic function

Progress in Brain Research - The Neurobiology of Circadian Timing ◽

10.1016/b978-0-444-59427-3.00019-8 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 337-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Christopher J. Morris ◽

Jessica N. Yang ◽

Frank A.J.L. Scheer

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Function ◽

Circadian Timing ◽

Timing System ◽

Circadian Timing System ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Circadian rhythms of temperature and activity in obese and lean Zucker rats

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.1995.269.5.r1038 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 269 (5) ◽

pp. R1038-R1043 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

D. M. Murakami ◽

B. A. Horwitz ◽

C. A. Fuller

Keyword(s):

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Female Rats ◽

Zucker Rats ◽

Circadian Regulation ◽

Circadian Timing ◽

Lighting Conditions ◽

Timing System ◽

Circadian Timing System ◽

Obese Zucker Rats ◽

Normal Light

The circadian timing system is important in the regulation of feeding and metabolism, both of which are aberrant in the obese Zucker rat. This study tested the hypothesis that these abnormalities involve a deficit in circadian regulation by examining the circadian rhythms of body temperature and activity in lean and obese Zucker rats exposed to normal light-dark cycles, constant light, and constant dark. Significant deficits in both daily mean and circadian amplitude of temperature and activity were found in obese Zucker female rats relative to lean controls in all lighting conditions. However, the circadian period of obese Zucker rats did not exhibit differences relative to lean controls in either of the constant lighting conditions. These results indicate that although the circadian regulation of temperature and activity in obese Zucker female rats is in fact depressed, obese rats do exhibit normal entrainment and pacemaker functions in the circadian timing system. The results suggest a deficit in the process that generates the amplitude of the circadian rhythm.

Download Full-text

Circadian rhythms and reproduction

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/rep.1.00614 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 132 (3) ◽

pp. 379-392 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Michael J Boden ◽

David J Kennaway

Keyword(s):

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Clock Genes ◽

Strain Differences ◽

Reproductive Function ◽

Circadian Timing ◽

Wide Range ◽

Timing System ◽

Circadian Timing System

There is a growing recognition that the circadian timing system, in particular recently discovered clock genes, plays a major role in a wide range of physiological systems. Microarray studies, for example, have shown that the expression of hundreds of genes changes many fold in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, liver heart and kidney. In this review, we discuss the role of circadian rhythmicity in the control of reproductive function in animals and humans. Circadian rhythms and clock genes appear to be involved in optimal reproductive performance, but there are sufficient redundancies in their function that many of the knockout mice produced do not show overt reproductive failure. Furthermore, important strain differences have emerged from the studies especially between the variousClock(CircadianLocomotorOutputCycleKaput) mutant strains. Nevertheless, there is emerging evidence that the primary clock genes,ClockandBmal1(Brain andMuscleARNT-like protein 1, also known asMop3), strongly influence reproductive competency. The extent to which the circadian timing system affects human reproductive performance is not known, in part, because many of the appropriate studies have not been done. With the role ofClockandBmal1in fertility becoming clearer, it may be time to pursue the effect of polymorphisms in these genes in relation to the various types of infertility in humans.

Download Full-text

Faculty Opinions recommendation of The circadian timing system in clinical oncology.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718445110.793537964 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Katja Lamia

Keyword(s):

Clinical Oncology ◽

Circadian Timing ◽

Timing System ◽

Circadian Timing System

Download Full-text

Circadian rhythms, sleep, and anti-cancer treatments

10.1093/oso/9780198778240.003.0016 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Pasquale F. Innominato ◽

David Spiegel

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Biological Functions ◽

Cancer Treatments ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

Timing System ◽

Physical Wellbeing ◽

Circadian Timing System ◽

Chemotherapy Agents

The circadian timing system temporally regulates biological functions relevant for psycho-physical wellbeing, spanning all the systems related to health. Hence, disruption of circadian rhythms, along with sleep cycles, is associated with the development of several diseases, including cancer. Moreover, altered circadian and sleep functions negatively impact on cancer patients’ quality of life and survival, above and beyond known determinants of outcome. This alteration can occur as a consequence of cancer, but also of anti-cancer treatments. Indeed, circadian rhythms govern also the ability of detoxifying chemotherapy agents across the 24 hours. Hence, adapting chemotherapy delivery to the molecular oscillations in relevant drug pathways can decrease toxicity to healthy cells, while increasing the number of cancer cells killing. This chronomodulated chemotherapy approach, together with the maintenance of proper circadian function throughtout the whole disease challenge, would finally result in safer and more active anticancer treatments, and in patients experiencing better quality and quantity of life.

Download Full-text

Human Circadian Timing System and Sleep-Wake Regulation

Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine ◽

10.1016/b978-0-323-24288-2.00035-0 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 362-376.e5 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Charles A. Czeisler ◽

Orfeu M. Buxton

Keyword(s):

Circadian Timing ◽

Timing System ◽

Circadian Timing System

Download Full-text

Metabolic disturbances: role of the circadian timing system and sleep

Diabetology International ◽

10.1007/s13340-016-0279-6 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 14-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Navin Adhikary ◽

Santosh Lal Shrestha ◽

Jia Zhong Sun

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Disturbances ◽

Circadian Timing ◽

Timing System ◽

Circadian Timing System

Download Full-text

The challenges of adolescent sleep

Interface Focus ◽

10.1098/rsfs.2019.0080 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 20190080 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gaby Illingworth

Keyword(s):

Developmental Period ◽

Sleep Health ◽

Insufficient Sleep ◽

Cognitive Health ◽

Circadian Timing ◽

Timing System ◽

Adolescent Sleep ◽

Circadian Timing System ◽

Exogenous Factors ◽

Adolescent Functioning

Sleep is vital for our physical, emotional and cognitive health. However, adolescents face many challenges where their sleep is concerned. This is reflected in their sleep patterns including the timing of their sleep and how much sleep they achieve on a regular basis: their sleep is characteristically delayed and short. Notably, insufficient sleep is associated with impairments in adolescent functioning. Endogenous and exogenous factors are known to affect sleep at this age. Alterations in the bioregulation of sleep, comprising the circadian timing system and the sleep/wake homeostatic system, represent the intrinsic mechanisms at work. Compounding this, environmental, psychosocial and lifestyle factors may contribute to shortened sleep. This review discusses the amount of sleep gained by adolescents and its implications, the challenges to adolescent sleep and the interventions introduced in an effort to prioritize sleep health in this important developmental period.

Download Full-text