Relationship between dietary rhythms and brain functions with consideration of multiple life stages

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19914
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Health science and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Yasuo Shinobu 九州大学, 農学研究院, 准教授 (30574719)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 概日時計 / 食事リズム / 情動 / 記憶・学習 / 海馬 / マウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Disruption of the circadian clock by irregular illumination is associated with affective disorders and memory disorders. In this study, effect of time-restricted feeding on affective behaviors and memory/learning behaviors was analyzed in mice. Morningness-like dietary rhythms resulted in preferred effects on depression-like behaviors and spacial memory and learning, compared to eveningness-like dietary rhythms. Hippocampal clock genes and neuromodulatory factors may be involved in the mechanism. This study further clarified that dietary rhythms during infant/adolescent stages had little impact on behaviors in later life.

Free Research Field

時間生物学・動物生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに時間制限給餌が糖代謝や脂質代謝に影響することが解明されている。本研究では初めて、時間制限給餌が脳に関連する機能（情動や記憶・学習能力、海馬の遺伝子発現など）にも強く影響を及ぼすことを明らかにした。これらの結果は、食事時刻の統制によって情動や記憶・認知機能を良好に維持できる可能性を示唆しており、睡眠不足や概日時計の乱れによるうつ病や交通事故・産業事故の防止に貢献できる可能性がある。