Search for odorants that regulate the peripheral clock

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12696
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: The University of Electro-Communications
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Tadashi 電気通信大学, 情報理工学(系)研究科, 教授 (50217858)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKAMURA ATSUSHI 電気通信大学, 大学院情報理工学研究科, 助教 (50361829) ; NAKAMURA TOMOKO (吉川 朋子) 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任助教 (30451397)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 概日時計 / 匂い物質 / 時差ぼけ / 疾患予防

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The circadian clock has an about 24 hour periods. Chronic desynchronization of circadian clock from the environmental rhythms is possibly thought to cause many diseases. The central circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, and controls many circadian rhythms. The circadian clock also reside throughout the body, and these peripheral clocks are entrained by the signals from the SCN. Desynchronization between SCN and peripheral clocks has been found to cause health problems. In this study, we aimed to search for odorants which effectively control the phase of the peripheral clocks. To address this, we induced jet lag in mice, and constructed apparatus to automatically give odor stimuli to them. We gave two odorants to mice, but could not observe any effects on the clock in liver.

Free Research Field

動物生理学　神経科学