Circadian clocks and mood-related behaviors

Glucocorticoid metabolites in an ex situ nocturnal bird, the tropical screech owl Megascops choliba: effects of sex, activity period and inter-individual variation

Glucocorticoids mediate physiological processes to obtain energy, presenting daily variation in basal levels that may be related to behavioural activity pattern. Identification of plasticity in the secretion of these hormones is essential to understand their effects on physiology and behaviour of wild birds and, therefore, their success in their natural or artificial environment. Serial endocrine evaluations are facilitated by implementing non-invasive methodologies that minimize possible effects of manipulation on the animal's physiological variables. However, non-invasive endocrine-behavioural studies in nocturnal birds, such as owls, are immature. The present work aimed to validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to quantify glucocorticoid metabolites (MGC) in Megascops choliba as well as to evaluate differences in their production at the individual, sexual or daily level. We recorded the behaviour of nine owls during three continuous days to establish activity budget under captive conditions and aiming to correlate with daily MGC variation. The EIA proved to be effective in analytical assays and in pharmacological testing with synthetic ACTH, validating this immunoassay for the species. Additionally, individual differences in MGC production were confirmed in relation to the time of day, especially at 1700 and 2100, but not in relation to sex. During night hours, the owls showed greater behavioural activity, positively related to MGC values. Higher MGC concentrations were significantly related to greater expressions of active behaviours, such as maintenance, while lower MGC concentrations were recorded during moments of higher alertness and resting. The results presented show daily MGC variation to be inversed in this nocturnal species. Our findings can aid future theoretical studies of daily rhythm and evaluations of challenging and/or disturbing situations that result in changes in behaviour or hormonal cascades of these changes in ex situ populations of owls.

Deficiency of the circadian clock gene Rev-erbα induces mood disorder-like behaviours and dysregulation of the serotonergic system in mice

Mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are highly associated with disrupted daily rhythms of activity, which are often observed in shift work and sleep disturbance in humans. Recent studies have proposed the REV-ERBα protein as a key circadian nuclear receptor that links behavioural rhythms to mood regulation. However, how the Rev-erbα gene participates in the regulation of mood remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the regulation of the serotonergic (5-HTergic) system, which plays a central role in stress-induced mood behaviours, is markedly disrupted in Rev-erbα^-/- mice. Rev-erbα^-/- mice exhibit both negative and positive behavioural phenotypes, including anxiety-like and mania-like behaviours, when subjected to a stressful environment. Importantly, Rev-erbα^-/- mice show a significant decrease in the expression of a gene that encodes the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin (5-HT) synthesis in the raphe nuclei (RN). In addition, 5-HT levels in Rev-erbα^-/- mice are significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex, which receives strong inputs from the RN and controls stress-related behaviours. Our findings indicate that Rev-erbα plays an important role in controlling the 5-HTergic system and thus regulates mood and behaviour.

The trilateral interactions between mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders: an emerging model

Circadian (~24 h) rhythms in physiology and behavior are evolutionarily conserved and found in almost all living organisms. The rhythms are endogenously driven by daily oscillatory activities of so-called "clock genes/proteins", which are widely distributed throughout the mammalian brain. Mammalian (mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is a fundamental intracellular signal transduction cascade that controls important neuronal processes including neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, metabolism, and aging. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway is associated with psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and mood disorders (MD), in which patients often exhibit disrupted daily physiological rhythms and abnormal circadian gene expression in the brain. Recent work has found that the activities of mTOR signaling are temporally controlled by the circadian clock and exhibit robust circadian oscillations in multiple systems. In the meantime, mTOR signaling regulates fundamental properties of the central and peripheral circadian clocks, including period length, entrainment, and synchronization. Whereas the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, increasing clinical and preclinical evidence support significant crosstalk between mTOR signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the trilateral interactions and propose an "interaction triangle" model between mTOR signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders (focusing on ASD and MD).

Timing is everything: Circadian rhythms and their role in the control of sleep

Sleep and the circadian clock are intertwined and have persisted throughout history. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) orchestrates sleep by controlling circadian (Process C) and homeostatic (Process S) activities. As a "hand" on the endogenous circadian clock, melatonin is critical for sleep regulation. Light serves as a cue for sleep/wake control by activating retino-recipient cells in the SCN and subsequently suppressing melatonin. Clock genes are the molecular timekeepers that keep the 24 h cycle in place. Two main sleep and behavioural disorder diagnostic manuals have now officially recognised the importance of these processes for human health and well-being. The body's ability to respond to daily demands with the least amount of effort is maximised by carefully timing and integrating all components of sleep and waking. In the brain, the organization of timing is essential for optimal brain physiology.

Glymphatic System Dysfunction in Central Nervous System Diseases and Mood Disorders

The glymphatic system, a recently discovered macroscopic waste removal system in the brain, has many unknown aspects, especially its driving forces and relationship with sleep, and thus further explorations of the relationship between the glymphatic system and a variety of possible related diseases are urgently needed. Here, we focus on the progress in current research on the role of the glymphatic system in several common central nervous system diseases and mood disorders, discuss the structural and functional abnormalities of the glymphatic system which may occur before or during the pathophysiological progress and the possible underlying mechanisms. We emphasize the relationship between sleep and the glymphatic system under pathological conditions and summarize the common imaging techniques for the glymphatic system currently available. The perfection of the glymphatic system hypothesis and the exploration of the effects of aging and endocrine factors on the central and peripheral regulatory pathways through the glymphatic system still require exploration in the future.

Pharmacological Rescue with SR8278, a Circadian Nuclear Receptor REV-ERBα Antagonist as a Therapy for Mood Disorders in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive dopaminergic neuronal loss. Motor deficits experienced by patients with Parkinson's disease are well documented, but non-motor symptoms, including mood disorders associated with circadian disturbances, are also frequent features. One common phenomenon is "sundowning syndrome," which is characterized by the occurrence of neuropsychiatric symptoms at a specific time (dusk), causing severe quality of life challenges. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of sundowning syndrome in Parkinson's disease and their molecular links with the circadian clock. We demonstrated that 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned mice, as Parkinson's disease mouse model, exhibit increased depression- and anxiety-like behaviors only at dawn (the equivalent of dusk in human). Administration of REV-ERBα antagonist, SR8278, exerted antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in a circadian time-dependent manner in 6-OHDA-lesioned mice and restored the circadian rhythm of mood-related behaviors. 6-OHDA-lesion altered DAergic-specific Rev-erbα and Nurr1 transcription, and atypical binding activities of REV-ERBα and NURR1, which are upstream nuclear receptors for the discrete tyrosine hydroxylase promoter region. SR8278 treatment restored the binding activities of REV-ERBα and NURR1 to the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter and the induction of enrichment of the R/N motif, recognized by REV-ERBα and NURR1, as revealed by ATAC-sequencing; therefore, tyrosine hydroxylase expression was elevated in the ventral tegmental area of 6-OHDA-injected mice, especially at dawn. These results indicate that REV-ERBα is a potential therapeutic target, and its antagonist, SR8278, is a potential drug for mood disorders related to circadian disturbances, namely sundowning syndrome, in Parkinson's disease.

Effects of Night Illumination on Behavior, Body Mass and Learning in Male Zebra Finches

An increase in artificial night lighting has blurred the boundaries of day and night and transformed the natural day-night environment with alteration in the temporal niche of the animals. Male zebra finches were exposed to a dim light at night (dLAN) protocol (Light: dLAN, 12L = 200 lux: 12dLAN = 5 lux) with controls on darkness at night (Light: dark, 12L = 200 lux: 12D = 0 lux) for six weeks. We assayed sleep-wake, daily behaviors, mood, and cognition, as well as changes in physiological parameters. Dim light at night increased sleep frequency, delayed sleep onset, advanced awakening latency, and caused a reduction in total sleep duration. dLAN birds did not associate (physical association) with novel object and birds spent significantly lesser time on perch with novel object as compared to LD. In colour learning task, night illuminated birds took more time to learn and made more error, compared to LD. dLAN significantly altered the 24-h daily behavioral rhythm (amplitude and acrophase) of feeding, drinking, preening, and perch-hopping behavior. In particular, birds extended their feeding hours in the nighttime under dLAN, with no difference in total food intake. Birds under dLAN increased fattening and hence significantly increased body mass. Our results show that dim light at night altered feeding rhythm, caused decrease in sleep behavior, and negatively affected learning and memory performance in male zebra finches.

Molecular Link between Circadian Rhythmicity and Mood Disorders

BACKGROUND

The internal clock is driven by circadian genes [e.g., Clock, Bmal1, Per1-3, Cry1-2], hormones [e.g., melatonin, cortisol], as well as zeitgeber ['synchronisers']. Chronic disturbances in the circadian rhythm in patients diagnosed with mood disorders have been recognised for more than 50 years.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this review is to summarise the current knowledge and literature regarding circadian rhythms in the context of mood disorders, focussing on the role of circadian genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters.

METHOD

The review presents the current knowledge and literature regarding circadian rhythms in mood disorders using the Pubmed database. Articles with a focus on circadian rhythms and mood disorders [n=123], particularly from 1973 to 2020, were included.

RESULTS

The article suggests a molecular link between disruptions in the circadian rhythm and mood disorders. Circadian disturbances, caused by the dysregulation of circadian genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters, often result in a clinical picture resembling depression.

CONCLUSION

Circadian rhythms are intrinsically linked to affective disorders, such as unipolar depression and bipolar disorder.

Chronobiology and Chronotherapy in Depression: Current Knowledge and Chronotherapeutic Promises

Background:

Depression is a heavily prevalent mental disorder. Symptoms of depression extend beyond mood, cognition, and behavior to include a spectrum of somatic manifestations in all organic systems. Changes in sleep and neuroendocrine rhythms are especially prominent, and disruptions of circadian rhythms have been closely related to the neurobiology of depression. With the advent of increased research in chronobiology, various pathophysiologic mechanisms have been proposed, including anomalies of sleep architecture, the effects of clock gene polymorphisms in monoamine metabolism, and the deleterious impact of social zeitgebers. The identification of these chronodisruptions has propelled the emergence of several chronotherapeutic strategies, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, with varying degrees of clinical evidence.

Methods:

The fundamental objective of this review is to integrate current knowledge about the role of chronobiology and depression and to summarize the interventions developed to resynchronize biorhythms both within an individual and with geophysical time.

Results:

We have found that among the non-pharmacological alternatives, triple chronotherapywhich encompasses bright light therapy, sleep deprivation therapy, and consecutive sleep phase advance therapy-has garnered the most considerable scientific interest. On the other hand, agomelatine appears to be the most promising pharmacological option, given its unique melatonergic pharmacodynamics.

Conclusions:

Research in chronotherapy as a treatment for depression is currently booming. Novel interventions could play a significant role in adopting new options for the treatment of depression, with Tripe Cronotherapy standing out as the most promising treatment.

Transition of Neural Activity From the Chaotic Bipolar-Disorder State to the Periodic Healthy State Using External Feedback Signals

Chronotherapy is a treatment for mood disorders, including major depressive disorder, mania, and bipolar disorder (BD). Neurotransmitters associated with the pathology of mood disorders exhibit circadian rhythms. A functional deficit in the neural circuits related to mood disorders disturbs the circadian rhythm; chronotherapy is an intervention that helps resynchronize the patient's biological clock with the periodic daily cycle, leading to amelioration of symptoms. In previous reports, Hadaeghi et al. proposed a non-linear dynamic model composed of the frontal and sensory cortical neural networks and the hypothalamus to explain the relationship between deficits in neural function in the frontal cortex and the disturbed circadian rhythm/mood transitions in BD (hereinafter referred to as the Hadaeghi model). In this model, neural activity in the frontal and sensory lobes exhibits periodic behavior in the healthy state; while in BD, this neural activity is in a state of chaos-chaos intermittency; this temporal departure from the healthy periodic state disturbs the circadian pacemaker in the hypothalamus. In this study, we propose an intervention based on a feedback method called the "reduced region of orbit" (RRO) method to facilitate the transition of the disturbed frontal cortical neural activity underlying BD to healthy periodic activity. Our simulation was based on the Hadaeghi model. We used an RRO feedback signal based on the return-map structure of the simulated frontal and sensory lobes to induce synchronization with a relatively weak periodic signal corresponding to the healthy condition by applying feedback of appropriate strength. The RRO feedback signal induces chaotic resonance, which facilitates the transition to healthy, periodic frontal neural activity, although this synchronization is restricted to a relatively low frequency of the periodic input signal. Additionally, applying an appropriate strength of the RRO feedback signal lowered the amplitude of the periodic input signal required to induce a synchronous state compared with the periodic signal applied alone. In conclusion, through a chaotic-resonance effect induced by the RRO feedback method, the state of the disturbed frontal neural activity characteristic of BD was transformed into a state close to healthy periodic activity by relatively weak periodic perturbations. Thus, RRO feedback-modulated chronotherapy might be an innovative new type of minimally invasive chronotherapy.

The clock-controlled chemokine contributes to neuroinflammation-induced depression

The circadian rhythm plays a central role in immune function, and its disruption has been closely linked to the etiology of depression. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between depression and circadian rhythm remain unclear. We found that mice deficient of Per2, a central clock component of circadian output, were resilient to neuroinflammation-induced depressive behavior. After repeated central lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections, MCP-1, MIP-1β, and RANTES increased in wild type (WT) but not in Per2-deficient mice. In addition, intracerebroventricular injection of RANTES resulted in depression-like behavior, and Met-RANTES, a CCR5 antagonist, could reverse depression-like behavior induced by LPS treatments. These results indicated that the Per2 gene contributes to depression via chemokines, especially RANTES. Furthermore, BMAL1 expression decreased in LPS-treated Per2-deficient mice and BMAL1 could bind to the promoter of Rantes, indicating clock gene can act as a regulator for neuroinflammation. In conclusion, Rantes, a clock-controlled gene (CCG), is involved in clock-immunological mechanisms underlying the effects of Per2 on neuroinflammation-induced depression-like behavior.

Internal clock and the surgical ICU patient

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The alteration of circadian rhythms in the postoperative period has been demonstrated to influence the outcomes. With this narrative review we would revise how anesthesia, surgery and intensive care can interfere with the circadian clock, how this could impact on the postsurgical period and how to limit the disruption of the internal clock.

RECENT FINDINGS

Anesthesia affects the clock in relation to the day-time administration and the type of anesthetics, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists or gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors agonists. Surgery causes stress and trauma with consequent alteration in the circadian release of cortisol, cytokines and melatonin. ICU represents a further challenge for the patient internal clock because of sedation, immobility, mechanical ventilation and alarms noise.

SUMMARY

The synergic effect of anesthesia, surgery and postoperative intensive care on circadian rhythms require a careful approach to the patient considering a role for therapies and interventions aimed to re-establish the normal circadian rhythms. Over time, approach like the Awakening and Breathing Coordination, Delirium Monitoring and Management, Early Mobility and Family engagement and empowerment bundle can implement the clinical practice.

Circadian-Hypoxia Link and its Potential for Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Throughout the evolutionary time, all organisms and species on Earth evolved with an adaptation to consistent oscillations of sunlight and darkness, now recognized as 'circadian rhythm.' Single-cellular to multisystem organisms use circadian biology to synchronize to the external environment and provide predictive adaptation to changes in cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of circadian biology has been implicated in numerous prevalent human diseases, and subsequently targeting the circadian machinery may provide innovative preventative or treatment strategies. Discovery of 'peripheral circadian clocks' unleashed widespread investigations into the potential roles of clock biology in cellular, tissue, and organ function in healthy and diseased states. Particularly, oxygen-sensing pathways (e.g. hypoxia inducible factor, HIF1), are critical for adaptation to changes in oxygen availability in diseases such as myocardial ischemia. Recent investigations have identified a connection between the circadian rhythm protein Period 2 (PER2) and HIF1A that may elucidate an evolutionarily conserved cellular network that can be targeted to manipulate metabolic function in stressed conditions like hypoxia or ischemia. Understanding the link between circadian and hypoxia pathways may provide insights and subsequent innovative therapeutic strategies for patients with myocardial ischemia. This review addresses our current understanding of the connection between light-sensing pathways (PER2), and oxygen-sensing pathways (HIF1A), in the context of myocardial ischemia and lays the groundwork for future studies to take advantage of these two evolutionarily conserved pathways in the treatment of myocardial ischemia.

The Concept of Coupling in the Mammalian Circadian Clock Network

The circadian clock network regulates daily rhythms in mammalian physiology and behavior to optimally adapt the organism to the 24-h day/night cycle. A central pacemaker, the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), coordinates subordinate cellular oscillators in the brain, as well as in peripheral organs to align with each other and external time. Stability and coordination of this vast network of cellular oscillators is achieved through different levels of coupling. Although coupling at the molecular level and across the SCN is well established and believed to define its function as pacemaker structure, the notion of coupling in other tissues and across the whole system is less well understood. In this review, we describe the different levels of coupling in the mammalian circadian clock system - from molecules to the whole organism. We highlight recent advances in gaining knowledge of the complex organization and function of circadian network regulation and its significance for the generation of stable but plastic intrinsic 24-h rhythms.

Indicators of vulnerability associated with less healthy circadian rhythms in undergraduate medical interns

To evaluate the association between circadian health parameters and psychological and biological vulnerability, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 15 undergraduate medical interns using the Brief Resilience Scale, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and an ambulatory circadian monitoring device. Circadian Health construct was confirmed by factor analysis. Vulnerability factors (history of depression and low resilience) were associated to lower circadian health of motor activity and temperature rhythms. The findings suggest that not only being depressed but also having had depressive episodes in the past, as well as having low resilience, are associated with chronodisruption, and may increase the risk for developing new episodes of depression.

Clock Genes Disruption in the Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND

Intensive care unit (ICU) environment disrupts the circadian rhythms due to environmental and other nonphotic synchronizers. The main purpose of this article is to establish whether critically patients have desynchronization at the molecular level after 1 week of stay in the ICU.

METHODS

The rhythm of Clock, Bmal1, Cry1, and Per2 genes in neuro-ICU patients (n = 11) on the first day after admission in the unit (1 day) and 1 week later (1 week) was studied, 4 time points throughout the day, at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. Human whole blood samples were obtained from neuro-ICU patients. The total RNA was isolated and each sample was reverse transcribed to complementary DNA and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCRq) was performed. The possible rhythm was studied using Fourier Series.

RESULTS

After 1 week, the clock gene rhythmicity completely disappeared. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression for the 4 clock genes was shown rhythmicity at the first day after admission in the ICU. Circadian rhythmicity for none of them was observed but rather, ultradian rhythmicity was found. The expression of Clock, Bmal1, and Per2 mRNA after 1 week was similar in the 4-time point studies without significant fluctuation among the 4 time points analyzed.

DISCUSSION

Rhythmic mRNA expression is present at the first day after admission in the ICU. However, ICU stay during 1 week affects the molecular machinery of the biological clock generating chronodisruption. Circadian disruption is associated with the risk of several pathologies, thus, it seems to be clear that ICU stay in constant conditions could adversely affect patient evolution and probably, circadian resynchronization restoring clock gene expression could lead to a better clinical evolution of the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Clock genes disruption is observed in neuro-ICU patients. Light therapy as well as melatonin treatment could reduce the impact of ICU stay period in biological clock, thereby improving patients' recovery.

Establishing a framework for neuropathological correlates and glymphatic system functioning in Parkinson's disease

Recent evidence has advanced our understanding of the function of sleep to include removal of neurotoxic protein aggregates via the glymphatic system. However, most research on the glymphatic system utilizes animal models, and the function of waste clearance processes in humans remains unclear. Understanding glymphatic function offers new insight into the development of neurodegenerative diseases that result from toxic protein inclusions, particularly those characterized by neuropathological sleep dysfunction, like Parkinson's disease (PD). In PD, we propose that glymphatic flow may be compromised due to the combined neurotoxic effects of alpha-synuclein protein aggregates and deteriorated dopaminergic neurons that are linked to altered REM sleep, circadian rhythms, and clock gene dysfunction. This review highlights the importance of understanding the functional role of glymphatic system disturbance in neurodegenerative disorders and the subsequent clinical and neuropathological effects on disease progression. Future research initiatives utilizing noninvasive brain imaging methods in human subjects with PD are warranted, as in vivo identification of functional biomarkers in glymphatic system functioning may improve clinical diagnosis and treatment of PD.

Light-exposure at night impairs mouse ovary development via cell apoptosis and DNA damage

The alternation of light and dark rhythm causes a series of physiological, biochemical and metabolic changes in animals, which also alters the growth and development of animals, and feeding, migration, reproduction and other behavioral activities. In recent years, many studies have reported the effects of long-term (more than 6 weeks) illumination on ovarian growth and development. In the present study, we observed the damage, repair and apoptosis of ovarian DNA in a short period of illumination. The results showed that, in short time (less than 2 weeks) illumination conditions, the 24-h light treatment caused the reduction of total ovarian follicle number and down-regulation of circadian clock related genes. Furthermore, the changed levels of serum sex hormones were also detected after 24-h light exposure, of which the concentrations of LH (luteinizing hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and E2 (estradiol) were increased, but the concentration of PROG (progesterone) was decreased. Moreover, 24-h light exposure increased the expression of DNA damage and repair related genes, the number of TUNEL and RAD51 positive cells. These results indicated that 24-h light exposure for 4, 8 and 12 days increased DNA damage and cell apoptosis, thereby affecting the development of ovary.

Multilevel Interactions of Stress and Circadian System: Implications for Traumatic Stress

The dramatic fluctuations in energy demands by the rhythmic succession of night and day on our planet has prompted a geophysical evolutionary need for biological temporal organization across phylogeny. The intrinsic circadian timing system (CS) represents a highly conserved and sophisticated internal "clock," adjusted to the 24-h rotation period of the earth, enabling a nyctohemeral coordination of numerous physiologic processes, from gene expression to behavior. The human CS is tightly and bidirectionally interconnected to the stress system (SS). Both systems are fundamental for survival and regulate each other's activity in order to prepare the organism for the anticipated cyclic challenges. Thereby, the understanding of the temporal relationship between stressors and stress responses is critical for the comprehension of the molecular basis of physiology and pathogenesis of disease. A critical loss of the harmonious timed order at different organizational levels may affect the fundamental properties of neuroendocrine, immune, and autonomic systems, leading to a breakdown of biobehavioral adaptative mechanisms with increased stress sensitivity and vulnerability. In this review, following an overview of the functional components of the SS and CS, we present their multilevel interactions and discuss how traumatic stress can alter the interplay between the two systems. Circadian dysregulation after traumatic stress exposure may represent a core feature of trauma-related disorders mediating enduring neurobiological correlates of trauma through maladaptive stress regulation. Understanding the mechanisms susceptible to circadian dysregulation and their role in stress-related disorders could provide new insights into disease mechanisms, advancing psychochronobiological treatment possibilities and preventive strategies in stress-exposed populations.

Mood rhythmicity is associated with depressive symptoms and caffeinated drinks consumption in South American young adults

Among the factors that contribute to the onset and maintenance of depressive disorders, rhythmicity of symptoms and consumption of caffeine have recently gained attention. The current study aimed to examine the differential rhythmicity of relevant variables in a sample of young participants, considering the presence of depressive symptomatology and the frequency of caffeinated drinks consumption. A significant 24-hour differential rhythmicity of mood, cognitive and physiological variables was found indicating an evening peak pattern in the participants with depressive symptoms. Interestingly, caffeinated drinks consumption was differentially associated with self-perceived peaks, according to the presence of depressive symptomatology. Our findings are among the first reports about the potential association of the 24-hours rhythmicity of relevant mood-related variables, depressive symptoms, and caffeine intake. These results support the view that the identification of risk factors for depression, and the application of novel measurements and analysis methods in the development of new preventive strategies should be a public health priority.

Design Principles of Phosphorylation-Dependent Timekeeping in Eukaryotic Circadian Clocks

The circadian clock in cyanobacteria employs a posttranslational oscillator composed of a sequential phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle of KaiC protein, in which the dynamics of protein structural changes driven by temperature-compensated KaiC's ATPase activity are critical for determining the period. On the other hand, circadian clocks in eukaryotes employ transcriptional feedback loops as a core mechanism. In this system, the dynamics of protein accumulation and degradation affect the circadian period. However, recent studies of eukaryotic circadian clocks reveal that the mechanism controlling the circadian period can be independent of the regulation of protein abundance. Instead, the circadian substrate is often phosphorylated at multiple sites at flexible protein regions to induce structural changes. The phosphorylation is catalyzed by kinases that induce sequential multisite phosphorylation such as casein kinase 1 (CK1) with temperature-compensated activity. We propose that the design principles of phosphorylation-dependent circadian-period determination in eukaryotes may share characteristics with the posttranslational oscillator in cyanobacteria.

Altered resting-state connectivity within default mode network associated with late chronotype

Current evidence suggests late chronotype individuals have an increased risk of developing depression. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of this association are not fully understood. Forty-six healthy, right-handed individuals free of current or previous diagnosis of depression, family history of depression or sleep disorder underwent resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsFMRI). Using an Independent Component Analysis (ICA) approach, the Default Mode Network (DMN) was identified based on a well validated template. Linear effects of chronotype on DMN connectivity were tested for significance using non-parametric permutation tests (applying 5000 permutations). Sleep quality, age, gender, measures of mood and anxiety, time of scan and cortical grey matter volume were included as covariates in the regression model. A significant positive correlation between chronotype and functional connectivity within nodes of the DMN was observed, including; bilateral PCC and precuneus, such that later chronotype (participants with lower rMEQ scores) was associated with decreased connectivity within these regions. The current results appear consistent with altered DMN connectivity in depressed patients and weighted evidence towards reduced DMN connectivity in other at-risk populations which may, in part, explain the increased vulnerability for depression in late chronotype individuals. The effect may be driven by self-critical thoughts associated with late chronotype although future studies are needed to directly investigate this.

Chronobiological theories of mood disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains the most prevalent mental disorder and a leading cause of disability, affecting approximately 100 million adults worldwide. The disorder is characterized by a constellation of symptoms affecting mood, anxiety, neurochemical balance, sleep patterns, and circadian and/or seasonal rhythm entrainment. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between chronobiological parameters and depression remain unknown. A PubMed search was conducted to review articles from 1979 to the present, using the following search terms: "chronobiology," "mood," "sleep," and "circadian rhythms." We aimed to synthesize the literature investigating chronobiological theories of mood disorders. Current treatments primarily include tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are known to increase extracellular concentrations of monoamine neurotransmitters. However, these antidepressants do not treat the sleep disturbances or circadian and/or seasonal rhythm dysfunctions associated with depressive disorders. Several theories associating sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances with depression have been proposed. Current evidence supports the existence of associations between these, but the direction of causality remains elusive. Given the existence of chronobiological disturbances in depression and evidence regarding their treatment in improving depression, a chronobiological approach, including timely use of light and melatonin agonists, could complement the treatment of MDD.

Purinergic Signaling in Neuron-Astrocyte Interactions, Circadian Rhythms, and Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating condition marked by cyclic patterns of craving, use, and withdrawal. These pathological behaviors are mediated by multiple neurotransmitter systems utilizing glutamate, GABA, dopamine, ATP, and adenosine. In particular, purines such as ATP and adenosine have been demonstrated to alter the phase and function of the circadian clock and are reciprocally regulated by the clock itself. Importantly, chronic ethanol intake has been demonstrated to disrupt the molecular circadian clock and is associated with altered circadian patterns of activity and sleep. Moreover, ethanol has been demonstrated to disrupt purinergic signaling, while dysfunction of the purinergic system has been implicated in conditions of drug abuse such as AUD. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge regarding circadian disruption by ethanol, focusing on the reciprocal relationship that exists between oscillatory neurotransmission and the molecular circadian clock. In particular, we offer detailed explanations and hypotheses regarding the concerted regulation of purinergic signaling and circadian oscillations by neurons and astrocytes, and review the diverse mechanisms by which purinergic dysfuction may contribute to circadian disruption or alcohol abuse. Finally, we describe the mechanisms by which ethanol may disrupt or hijack endogenous circadian rhythms to induce the maladaptive behavioral patterns associated with AUD.

Role and Possible Mechanisms of Sirt1 in Depression

Depression is a common, devastating illness. Due to complicated causes and limited treatments, depression is still a major problem that plagues the world. Silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) is a deacetylase at the consumption of NAD⁺ and is involved in gene silencing, cell cycle, fat and glucose metabolism, cellular oxidative stress, and senescence. Sirt1 has now become a critical therapeutic target for a number of diseases. Recently, a genetic study has received considerable attention for depression and found that Sirt1 is a potential gene target. In this short review article, we attempt to present an up-to-date knowledge of depression and Sirt1 of the sirtuin family, describe the different effects of Sirt1 on depression, and further discuss possible mechanisms of Sirt1 including glial activation, neurogenesis, circadian control, and potential signaling molecules. Thus, it will open a new avenue for clinical treatment of depression.

Depressive disorders: Processes leading to neurogeneration and potential novel treatments

Mood disorders are wide spread with estimates that one in seven of the population are affected at some time in their life (Kessler et al., 2012). Many of those affected with severe depressive disorders have cognitive deficits which may progress to frank neurodegeneration. There are several peripheral markers shown by patients who have cognitive deficits that could represent causative factors and could potentially serve as guides to the prevention or even treatment of neurodegeneration. Circadian rhythm misalignment, immune dysfunction and oxidative stress are key pathologic processes implicated in neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction in depressive disorders. Novel treatments targeting these pathways may therefore potentially improve patient outcomes whereby the primary mechanism of action is outside of the monoaminergic system. Moreover, targeting immune dysfunction, oxidative stress and circadian rhythm misalignment (rather than primarily the monoaminergic system) may hold promise for truly disease modifying treatments that may prevent neurodegeneration rather than simply alleviating symptoms with no curative intent. Further research is required to more comprehensively understand the contributions of these pathways to the pathophysiology of depressive disorders to allow for disease modifying treatments to be discovered.

What can we learn about brain donors? Use of clinical information in human postmortem brain research

Postmortem studies on the human brain reside at the core of investigations on neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Ground-breaking advances continue to be made on the pathologic basis of many of these disorders, at molecular, cellular, and neural connectivity levels. In parallel, there is increasing emphasis on improving methods to extract relevant demographic and clinical information about brain donors and, importantly, translate it into measures that can reliably and effectively be incorporated in the design and data analysis of postmortem human investigations. Here, we review the main source of information typically available to brain banks and provide examples on how this information can be processed. In particular, we discuss approaches to establish primary and secondary diagnoses, estimate exposure to therapeutic treatment and substance abuse, assess agonal status, and use time of death as a proxy in investigations on circadian rhythms. Although far from exhaustive, these considerations are intended as a contribution to ongoing efforts from tissue banks and investigators aimed at establishing robust, well-validated methods for collecting and standardizing information about brain donors, further strengthening the scientific rigor of human postmortem studies.

Role of Chronobiology as a Transdisciplinary Field of Research: Its Applications in Treating Mood Disorders

Chronobiology is a field that studies the effects of time on biological systems. Periodicity is of particular interest. The master biological clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus controls daily rhythms of core body temperature, rest-activity cycle, physiological and behavioral functions, psychomotor functions and mood in humans. The clock genes are involved in the generation of the circadian rhythms and the biological clock is synchronized to solar day by direct photic inputs. Various circadian rhythm abnormalities have been demonstrated in mood disorders such as unipolar depression, bipolar depression and seasonal affective disorder. Hypotheses involving circadian rhythm abnormalities related to the etiology of mood disorders have been raised. The resulting circadian rhythm changes can be measured and evaluated that these techniques can be used to identify subtypes of mood disorders associated with circadian rhythm changes. The data obtained from chronobiological studies reveal methods that manipulate circadian rhythms. The effects of light and melatonin on circadian rhythms are determined by these studies. Chronobiological research has been applied to the psychiatric clinic and light therapy has been used as a chronotherapeutic in the treatment of mood disorders. On the other hand, chronotherapeutic approaches with effects on circadian rhythms such as sleep deprivation therapy have been used in the treatment of mood disorders too. As a good example of translational psychiatry, chronobiological studies have been projected in the psychiatry clinic. It may be possible, the data obtained from the basic sciences are used in the diagnosis of mood disorders and in the treatment of psychiatric disorders as chronotherapeutic techniques. Developments in the field of chronobiology and data obtained from chronotherapeutics may enable the development of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment in psychiatry.

Implications of Circadian Rhythm in Dopamine and Mood Regulation

Mammalian physiology and behavior are regulated by an internal time-keeping system, referred to as circadian rhythm. The circadian timing system has a hierarchical organization composed of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and local clocks in extra-SCN brain regions and peripheral organs. The circadian clock molecular mechanism involves a network of transcription-translation feedback loops. In addition to the clinical association between circadian rhythm disruption and mood disorders, recent studies have suggested a molecular link between mood regulation and circadian rhythm. Specifically, genetic deletion of the circadian nuclear receptor Rev-erbα induces mania-like behavior caused by increased midbrain dopaminergic (DAergic) tone at dusk. The association between circadian rhythm and emotion-related behaviors can be applied to pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson's disease (PD), DAergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta progressively degenerate leading to motor dysfunction. Patients with PD also exhibit non-motor symptoms, including sleep disorder and neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms that link the molecular circadian clock and brain machinery in the regulation of emotional behaviors and related midbrain DAergic neuronal circuits in healthy and pathological states. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the association between circadian rhythm and mood regulation from a chronobiological perspective, and may provide insight into therapeutic approaches to target psychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases involving circadian rhythm dysfunction.

Circadian neurons in the lateral habenula: Clocking motivated behaviors

The main circadian clock in mammals is located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), however, central timing mechanisms are also present in other brain structures beyond the SCN. The lateral habenula (LHb), known for its important role in the regulation of the monoaminergic system, contains such a circadian clock whose molecular and cellular mechanisms as well as functional role are not well known. However, since monoaminergic systems show circadian activity, it is possible that the LHb-clock's role is to modulate the rhythmic activity of the dopamine, serotonin and norephinephrine systems, and associated behaviors. Moreover, the LHb is involved in different pathological states such as depression, addiction and schizophrenia, states in which sleep and circadian alterations have been reported. Thus, perturbations of circadian activity in the LHb might, in part, be a cause of these rhythmic alterations in psychiatric ailments. In this review the current state of the LHb clock and its possible implications in the control of monoaminergic systems rhythms, motivated behaviors (e.g., feeding, drug intake) and depression (with circadian disruptions and altered motivation) will be discussed.

Clock Regulation of Metabolites Reveals Coupling between Transcription and Metabolism

The intricate connection between the circadian clock and metabolism remains poorly understood. We used high temporal resolution metabolite profiling to explore clock regulation of mouse liver and cell-autonomous metabolism. In liver, ∼50% of metabolites were circadian, with enrichment of nucleotide, amino acid, and methylation pathways. In U2 OS cells, 28% were circadian, including amino acids and NAD biosynthesis metabolites. Eighteen metabolites oscillated in both systems and a subset of these in primary hepatocytes. These 18 metabolites were enriched in methylation and amino acid pathways. To assess clock dependence of these rhythms, we used genetic perturbation. BMAL1 knockdown diminished metabolite rhythms, while CRY1 or CRY2 perturbation generally shortened or lengthened rhythms, respectively. Surprisingly, CRY1 knockdown induced 8 hr rhythms in amino acid, methylation, and vitamin metabolites, decoupling metabolite from transcriptional rhythms, with potential impact on nutrient sensing in vivo. These results provide the first comprehensive views of circadian liver and cell-autonomous metabolism.

Stress-Related and Circadian Secretion and Target Tissue Actions of Glucocorticoids: Impact on Health

Living organisms are highly complex systems that must maintain a dynamic equilibrium or homeostasis that requires energy to be sustained. Stress is a state in which several extrinsic or intrinsic disturbing stimuli, the stressors, threaten, or are perceived as threatening, homeostasis. To achieve homeostasis against the stressors, organisms have developed a highly sophisticated system, the stress system, which provides neuroendocrine adaptive responses, to restore homeostasis. These responses must be appropriate in terms of size and/or duration; otherwise, they may sustain life but be associated with detrimental effects on numerous physiologic functions of the organism, leading to a state of disease-causing disturbed homeostasis or cacostasis. In addition to facing a broad spectrum of external and/or internal stressors, organisms are subject to recurring environmental changes associated with the rotation of the planet around itself and its revolution around the sun. To adjust their homeostasis and to synchronize their activities to day/night cycles, organisms have developed an evolutionarily conserved biologic system, the "clock" system, which influences several physiologic functions in a circadian fashion. Accumulating evidence suggests that the stress system is intimately related to the circadian clock system, with dysfunction of the former resulting in dysregulation of the latter and vice versa. In this review, we describe the functional components of the two systems, we discuss their multilevel interactions, and we present how excessive or prolonged activity of the stress system affects the circadian rhythm of glucocorticoid secretion and target tissue effects.

Progression of Dementia Assessed by Temporal Correlations of Physical Activity: Results From a 3.5-Year, Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial

Cross-sectional studies show that activity fluctuations in healthy young adults possess robust temporal correlations that become altered with aging, and in dementia and depression. This study was designed to test whether or not within-subject changes of activity correlations (i) track the clinical progression of dementia, (ii) reflect the alterations of depression symptoms in patients with dementia, and (iii) can be manipulated by clinical interventions aimed at stabilizing circadian rhythmicity and improving sleep in dementia, namely timed bright light therapy and melatonin supplementation. We examined 144 patients with dementia (70-96 years old) who were assigned to daily treatment with bright light, bedtime melatonin, both or placebos only in a 3.5-year double-blinded randomized clinical trial. We found that activity correlations at temporal scales <~2 hours significantly decreased over time and that light treatment attenuated the decrease by ~73%. Moreover, the decrease of temporal activity correlations positively correlated with the degrees of cognitive decline and worsening of mood though the associations were relatively weak. These results suggest a mechanistic link between multiscale activity regulation and circadian/sleep function in dementia patients. Whether temporal activity patterns allow unobtrusive, long-term monitoring of dementia progression and mood changes is worth further investigation.

Post-transcriptional control of the mammalian circadian clock: implications for health and disease

Many aspects of human physiology and behavior display rhythmicity with a period of approximately 24 h. Rhythmic changes are controlled by an endogenous time keeper, the circadian clock, and include sleep-wake cycles, physical and mental performance capability, blood pressure, and body temperature. Consequently, many diseases, such as metabolic, sleep, autoimmune and mental disorders and cancer, are connected to the circadian rhythm. The development of therapies that take circadian biology into account is thus a promising strategy to improve treatments of diverse disorders, ranging from allergic syndromes to cancer. Circadian alteration of body functions and behavior are, at the molecular level, controlled and mediated by widespread changes in gene expression that happen in anticipation of predictably changing requirements during the day. At the core of the molecular clockwork is a well-studied transcription-translation negative feedback loop. However, evidence is emerging that additional post-transcriptional, RNA-based mechanisms are required to maintain proper clock function. Here, we will discuss recent work implicating regulated mRNA stability, translation and alternative splicing in the control of the mammalian circadian clock, and its role in health and disease.

Tracking search engine queries for suicide in the United Kingdom, 2004-2013

OBJECTIVES

First, to determine if a cyclical trend is observed for search activity of suicide and three common suicide risk factors in the United Kingdom: depression, unemployment, and marital strain. Second, to test the validity of suicide search data as a potential marker of suicide risk by evaluating whether web searches for suicide associate with suicide rates among those of different ages and genders in the United Kingdom.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

METHODS

Search engine data was obtained from Google Trends, a publicly available repository of information of trends and patterns of user searches on Google. The following phrases were entered into Google Trends to analyse relative search volume for suicide, depression, job loss, and divorce, respectively: 'suicide'; 'depression + depressed + hopeless'; 'unemployed + lost job'; 'divorce'. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was employed to test bivariate associations between suicide search activity and official suicide rates from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

RESULTS

Cyclical trends were observed in search activity for suicide and depression-related search activity, with peaks in autumn and winter months, and a trough in summer months. A positive, non-significant association was found between suicide-related search activity and suicide rates in the general working-age population (15-64 years) (ρ = 0.164; P = 0.652). This association is stronger in younger age groups, particularly for those 25-34 years of age (ρ = 0.848; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

We give credence to a link between search activity for suicide and suicide rates in the United Kingdom from 2004 to 2013 for high risk sub-populations (i.e. male youth and young professionals). There remains a need for further research on how Google Trends can be used in other areas of disease surveillance and for work to provide greater geographical precision, as well as research on ways of mitigating the risk of internet use leading to suicide ideation in youth.

Altered Sleep Homeostasis in Rev-erbα Knockout Mice

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The nuclear receptor REV-ERBα is a potent, constitutive transcriptional repressor critical for the regulation of key circadian and metabolic genes. Recently, REV-ERBα's involvement in learning, neurogenesis, mood, and dopamine turnover was demonstrated suggesting a specific role in central nervous system functioning. We have previously shown that the brain expression of several core clock genes, including Rev-erbα, is modulated by sleep loss. We here test the consequences of a loss of REV-ERBα on the homeostatic regulation of sleep.

METHODS

EEG/EMG signals were recorded in Rev-erbα knockout (KO) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates during baseline, sleep deprivation, and recovery. Cortical gene expression measurements after sleep deprivation were contrasted to baseline.

RESULTS

Although baseline sleep/wake duration was remarkably similar, KO mice showed an advance of the sleep/wake distribution relative to the light-dark cycle. After sleep onset in baseline and after sleep deprivation, both EEG delta power (1-4 Hz) and sleep consolidation were reduced in KO mice indicating a slower increase of homeostatic sleep need during wakefulness. This slower increase might relate to the smaller increase in theta and gamma power observed in the waking EEG prior to sleep onset under both conditions. Indeed, the increased theta activity during wakefulness predicted delta power in subsequent NREM sleep. Lack of Rev-erbα increased Bmal1, Npas2, Clock, and Fabp7 expression, confirming the direct regulation of these genes by REV-ERBα also in the brain.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results add further proof to the notion that clock genes are involved in sleep homeostasis. Because accumulating evidence directly links REV-ERBα to dopamine signaling the altered homeostatic regulation of sleep reported here are discussed in that context.

Circadian Rhythms and Mood Disorders: Are the Phenomena and Mechanisms Causally Related?

This paper reviews some of the compelling evidence of disrupted circadian rhythms in individuals with mood disorders (major depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder) and that treatments such as bright light, designed to alter circadian rhythms, are effective in treating these disorders. Neurotransmitters in brain regions implicated in mood regulation exhibit circadian rhythms. A mouse model originally employed to identify a circadian gene has proven a potent model for mania. While this evidence is suggestive of an etiological role for altered circadian rhythms in mood disorders, it is compatible with other explanations, including that disrupted circadian rhythms and mood disorders are effects of a common cause and that genes and proteins implicated in both simply have pleiotropic effects. In light of this, the paper advances a proposal as to what evidence would be needed to establish a direct causal link between disruption of circadian rhythms and mood disorders.

Hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons in an animal model of seasonal affective disorder

Light has profound effects on mood regulation as exemplified in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and the therapeutic benefits of light therapy. However, the underlying neural pathways through which light regulates mood are not well understood. Our previous work has developed the diurnal grass rat, Arvicanthis niloticus, as an animal model of SAD. Following housing conditions of either 12:12 h dim light:dark (DLD) or 8:16 h short photoperiod (SP), which mimic the lower light intensity or short day-length of winter, respectively, grass rats exhibit an increase in depression-like behavior compared to those housed in a 12:12 h bright light:dark (BLD) condition. Furthermore, we have shown that the orexinergic system is involved in mediating the effects of light on mood and anxiety. To explore other potential neural substrates involved in the depressive phenotype, the present study examined hypothalamic dopaminergic (DA) and somatostatin (SST) neurons in the brains of grass rats housed in DLD, SP and BLD. Using immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and SST, we found that the number of TH- and SST-ir cells in the hypothalamus was significantly lower in the DLD and SP groups compared to the BLD group. We also found that treating BLD animals with a selective orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) antagonist SB-334867 significantly reduced the number of hypothalamic TH-ir cells. The present study suggests that the hypothalamic DA neurons are sensitive to daytime light deficiency and are regulated by an orexinergic pathway. The results support the hypothesis that the orexinergic pathways mediate the effects of light on other neuronal systems that collectively contribute to light-dependent changes in the affective state.

Entrainment of the mouse circadian clock by sub-acute physical and psychological stress

The effects of acute stress on the peripheral circadian system are not well understood in vivo. Here, we show that sub-acute stress caused by restraint or social defeat potently altered clock gene expression in the peripheral tissues of mice. In these peripheral tissues, as well as the hippocampus and cortex, stressful stimuli induced time-of-day-dependent phase-advances or -delays in rhythmic clock gene expression patterns; however, such changes were not observed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, i.e. the central circadian clock. Moreover, several days of stress exposure at the beginning of the light period abolished circadian oscillations and caused internal desynchronisation of peripheral clocks. Stress-induced changes in circadian rhythmicity showed habituation and disappeared with long-term exposure to repeated stress. These findings suggest that sub-acute physical/psychological stress potently entrains peripheral clocks and causes transient dysregulation of circadian clocks in vivo.

RNA expression profiling in depressed patients suggests retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha as a biomarker for antidepressant response

Response to antidepressant treatment is highly variable with some patients responding within a few weeks, whereas others have to wait for months until the onset of clinical effects. Gene expression profiling may be a tool to identify markers of antidepressant treatment response and new potential drug targets. In a first step, we selected 12 male, age- and severity-matched pairs of remitters and nonresponders, and analyzed expression profiles in peripheral blood at admission and after 2 and 5 weeks of treatment using Illumina expression arrays. We identified 127 transcripts significantly associated with treatment response with a minimal P-value of 9.41 × 10(-)(4) (false discovery rate-corrected). Analysis of selected transcripts in an independent replication sample of 142 depressed inpatients confirmed that lower expression of retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha (RORa, P=6.23 × 10(-4)), germinal center expressed transcript 2 (GCET2, P=2.08 × 10(-2)) and chitinase 3-like protein 2 (CHI3L2, P=4.45 × 10(-2)) on admission were associated with beneficial treatment response. In addition, leukocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1) significantly decreased after 5 weeks of treatment in responders (P=2.91 × 10(-2)). Additional genetic, in vivo stress responsitivity data and murine gene expression findings corroborate our finding of RORa as a transcriptional marker of antidepressant response. In summary, using a genome-wide transcriptomics approach and subsequent validation studies, we identified several transcripts including the circadian gene transcript RORa that may serve as biomarkers indicating antidepressant treatment response.

Circadian Clocks and the Interaction between Stress Axis and Adipose Function

Many physiological processes and most endocrine functions show fluctuations over the course of the day. These so-called circadian rhythms are governed by an endogenous network of cellular clocks and serve as an adaptation to daily and, thus, predictable changes in the organism's environment. Circadian clocks have been described in several tissues of the stress axis and in adipose cells where they regulate the rhythmic and stimulated release of stress hormones, such as glucocorticoids, and various adipokine factors. Recent work suggests that both adipose and stress axis clock systems reciprocally influence each other and adrenal-adipose rhythms may be key players in the development and therapy of metabolic disorders. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of adrenal and adipose tissue rhythms and clocks and how they might interact to regulate energy homoeostasis and stress responses under physiological conditions. Potential chronotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of metabolic and stress disorders are discussed.

Adrenal Clocks and the Role of Adrenal Hormones in the Regulation of Circadian Physiology

The mammalian circadian timing system consists of a master pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and subordinate clocks that disseminate time information to various central and peripheral tissues. While the function of the SCN in circadian rhythm regulation has been extensively studied, we still have limited understanding of how peripheral tissue clock function contributes to the regulation of physiological processes. The adrenal gland plays a special role in this context as adrenal hormones show strong circadian secretion rhythms affecting downstream physiological processes. At the same time, they have been shown to affect clock gene expression in various other tissues, thus mediating systemic entrainment to external zeitgebers and promoting internal circadian alignment. In this review, we discuss the function of circadian clocks in the adrenal gland, how they are reset by the SCN and may further relay time-of-day information to other tissues. Focusing on glucocorticoids, we conclude by outlining the impact of adrenal rhythm disruption on neuropsychiatric, metabolic, immune, and malignant disorders.

Circadian rhythms in anesthesia and critical care medicine: potential importance of circadian disruptions

The rotation of the earth and associated alternating cycles of light and dark--the basis of our circadian rhythms--are fundamental to human biology and culture. However, it was not until 1971 that researchers first began to describe the molecular mechanisms for the circadian system. During the past few years, groundbreaking research has revealed a multitude of circadian genes affecting a variety of clinical diseases, including diabetes, obesity, sepsis, cardiac ischemia, and sudden cardiac death. Anesthesiologists, in the operating room and intensive care units, manage these diseases on a daily basis as they significantly affect patient outcomes. Intriguingly, sedatives, anesthetics, and the intensive care unit environment have all been shown to disrupt the circadian system in patients. In the current review, we will discuss how newly acquired knowledge of circadian rhythms could lead to changes in clinical practice and new therapeutic concepts.

Intrinsic and extrinsic cues regulate the daily profile of mouse lateral habenula neuronal activity

The epithalamic lateral habenula (LHb) is implicated as part of the mammalian brain's circadian system. Anatomical evidence suggests that the LHb receives extrinsic circadian timing cues from retinal ganglion cells and the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). Intriguingly, some LHb neurones contain the molecular circadian clock, but it is unclear if and how intrinsic and extrinsic circadian processes influence neuronal activity in the mouse LHb. Here, using an in vitro brain slice preparation isolating the LHb from the SCN, we show through whole-cell patch-clamp recordings that LHb neurones exhibit heterogeneity in their resting state, but the majority spontaneously fire action potentials (APs). Discharge rate of APs varied from low firing in the early day to higher firing later in the day and was absent in LHb brain slices prepared from Cry1(-/-)Cry2(-/-) mice that lack a functional molecular clock. Low amplitude circadian oscillations in the molecular circadian clock were also monitored in LHb brain slices, but were absent in Cry1(-/-)Cry2(-/-) LHb brain tissue. A putative neurochemical output signal of the SCN, prokineticin 2 (PK2), inhibited some LHb neurones by elevating the frequency of GABA release in the LHb. Using multi-electrode recordings in vivo, we found that LHb neurones sluggishly respond to retinal illumination, suggesting that they receive such information through polysynaptic processes. In summary, our results show for the first time that intrinsic circadian signals are important for regulating LHb neuronal state, while the SCN-derived signal PK2 is less influential. Moreover, we demonstrate that mouse LHb neurones have access to and can respond to visual input, but such signals are unlikely to be directly communicated to the LHb. Broadly, these findings raise the possibility that intrinsic circadian signals are likely to be influential in shaping LHb contributions to cognition and emotionality.

Diurnal and twenty-four hour patterning of human diseases: acute and chronic common and uncommon medical conditions

The symptom intensity and mortality of human diseases, conditions, and syndromes exhibit diurnal or 24 h patterning, e.g., skin: atopic dermatitis, urticaria, psoriasis, and palmar hyperhidrosis; gastrointestinal: esophageal reflux, peptic ulcer (including perforation and hemorrhage), cyclic vomiting syndrome, biliary colic, hepatic variceal hemorrhage, and proctalgia fugax; infection: susceptibility, fever, and mortality; neural: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobe seizures, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, hereditary progressive dystonia, and pain (cancer, post-surgical, diabetic neuropathic and foot ulcer, tooth caries, burning mouth and temporomandibular syndromes, fibromyalgia, sciatica, intervertebral vacuum phenomenon, multiple sclerosis muscle spasm, and migraine, tension, cluster, hypnic, and paroxysmal hemicranial headache); renal: colic and nocturnal enuresis and polyuria; ocular: bulbar conjunctival redness, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, intraocular pressure and anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and recurrent corneal erosion syndrome; psychiatric/behavioral: major and seasonal affective depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, parasuicide and suicide, dementia-associated agitation, and addictive alcohol, tobacco, and heroin cravings and withdrawal phenomena; plus autoimmune and musculoskeletal: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, axial spondylarthritis, gout, Sjögren's syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Knowledge of these and other 24 h patterns of human pathophysiology informs research of their underlying circadian and other endogenous mechanisms, external temporal triggers, and more effective patient care entailing clinical chronopreventive and chronotherapeutic strategies.