Mechanism of exercise effect on the central circadian pacemaker

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03993
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Yujiro Yamanaka 北海道大学, 教育学研究院, 准教授 (20528343)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 生物時計 / 時計遺伝子 / マウス / 中枢時計 / 末梢時計 / サーカディアンリズム / 運動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although an light-dark cycle (LD) is a primary zeitgerber for the circadian system, timed exercise could entrain circadian behavior rhythms under constant darkness (DD). In the present study, we investigate whether entrainment by scheduled exercise alters the internal temporal order of the behavioral circadian rhythms or clock gene expression in the central circadian pacemaker in the SCN, extra-SCN brains, and peripheral organs when mice are entrained to the scheduled exercise under DD as same as the mice uder entrained to an LD. We used adult male Per1-luc mice. The temporal order of behavioral circadian rhythms and the rhythms in the SCN and peripheral tissues but not in the arcuate nucleus were maintained in the mice entrained to the scheduled exercise and LD. The present findings reveal that the SCN entrains to daily exercise, and daily exercise reorganizes the internal temporal order of behavioral circadian rhythms and clock gene expression in the SCN and peripheral tissues.

Free Research Field

時間生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の研究成果は、昼夜変化の存在しない環境下においても規則正しく運動を行うことで生物時計を調節することが可能であることを遺伝子レベルで初めて明らかにしました。本研究の成果は、全盲患者や光によるリズム同調が困難な環境（パンデミック下での外出自粛、地下室、宇宙ステーションのような閉鎖環境）における生物時計の調節、生物時計の乱れが原因とされる様々な疾患の予防に有効な運動スケジュールを提言する際の科学的根拠となることが期待されます。