Regulation of daily rhythms for behavior-metabolism links by light and nutrition

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23390048
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: TAKIGUCHI Masaki 千葉大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (40179578)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IWASE Katsuro 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 講師 (80322030)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MATSUMOTO Eriko 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 技術職員 (20422256)
• Research Collaborator: ARITA Emiko 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 技術職員 ; OOHIRA Ayano 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 技術補佐員 ; TAMAI Keiko 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 技術補佐員 ; TAIRA Akiko 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 生物時計 / 概日リズム / 糖新生 / 神経ペプチド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the day/night cycle, mice act and eat during the dark period, while rest and fast during the light period. Under general conditions, lack of glucose activates gluconeogenetic enzyme genes in the latter half of the fasting period. However, depending on nutritional conditions, this rhythmicity suffers from fluctuations. Here, we revealed the fluctuation-associated changes in humoral factors including corticosterone, glucagon and insulin under the conditions of prolonged fasting, high-fat diet and carbohydrate/protein-ratio varied chows. A gene-disrupted mouse strain with a prolonged circadian behavioral rhythm under constant lightness showed an enhancing tendency in phase advancement of behavioral initiation by light pulse in the latter half of the dark period, and a shortening tendency in days required for resynchronization of the behavioral initiation phase after 6-h advancement of the dark period, suggesting the enhancement of light responsiveness of the daily behavioral rhythm.

Free Research Field

時間生物学