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Carvalho-Moreira JP, de Oliveira Guarnieri L, Passos MC, Emrich F, Bargi-Souza P, Peliciari-Garcia RA, Moraes MFD. CircadiPy: an open-source toolkit for analyzing chronobiology time series. J Neurosci Methods 2024:110245. [PMID: 39117154 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronobiology is the scientific field focused on studying periodicity in biological processes. In mammals, most physiological variables exhibit circadian rhythmicity, such as metabolism, body temperature, locomotor activity, and sleep. The biological rhythmicity can be statistically evaluated by examining the time series and extracting parameters that correlate to the period of oscillation, its amplitude, phase displacement, and overall variability. NEW METHOD We have developed a library called CircadiPy, which encapsulates methods for chronobiological analysis and data inspection, serving as an open-access toolkit for the analysis and interpretation of chronobiological data. The package was designed to be flexible, comprehensive and scalable in order to assist research dealing with processes affected or influenced by rhythmicity. RESULTS The results demonstrate the toolkit's capability to guide users in analyzing chronobiological data collected from various recording sources, while also providing precise parameters related to the circadian rhythmicity. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS The analysis methodology from this proposed library offers an opportunity to inspect and obtain chronobiological parameters in a straightforward and cost-free manner, in contrast to commercial tools. CONCLUSIONS Moreover, being an open-source tool, it empowers the community with the opportunity to contribute with new functions, analysis methods, and graphical visualizations given the simplified computational method of time series data analysis using an easy and comprehensive pipeline within a single Python object.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Pedro Carvalho-Moreira
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - Leonardo de Oliveira Guarnieri
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - Matheus Costa Passos
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - Felipe Emrich
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - Paula Bargi-Souza
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
| | - Rodrigo Antonio Peliciari-Garcia
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Setor de Morfofisiologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brasil
| | - Márcio Flávio Dutra Moraes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil.
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Elberling F, Spulber S, Bose R, Keung HY, Ahola V, Zheng Z, Ceccatelli S. Sex Differences in Long-term Outcome of Prenatal Exposure to Excess Glucocorticoids-Implications for Development of Psychiatric Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:7346-7361. [PMID: 37561236 PMCID: PMC10657788 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03522-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal insults, such as excess glucocorticoids (GC), may lead to pathological outcomes, including neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effects of in utero exposure to the synthetic GC analog dexamethasone (Dex) in adult female offspring. We monitored spontaneous activity in the home cage under a constant 12 h/12 h light/dark cycle, as well as the changes following a 6-h advance of dark onset (phase shift). For comparison, we re-analysed data previously recorded in males. Dex-exposed females were spontaneously more active, and the activity onset re-entrained slower than in controls. In contrast, Dex-exposed males were less active, and the activity onset re-entrained faster than in controls. Following the phase shift, control females displayed a transient reorganisation of behaviour in light and virtually no change in dark, while Dex-exposed females showed limited variations from baseline in both light and dark, suggesting weaker photic entrainment. Next, we ran bulk RNA-sequencing in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of Dex and control females. SPIA pathway analysis of ~ 2300 differentially expressed genes identified significantly downregulated dopamine signalling, and upregulated glutamate and GABA signalling. We selected a set of candidate genes matching the behaviour alterations and found consistent differential regulation for ~ 73% of tested genes in SCN and hippocampus tissue samples. Taken together, our data highlight sex differences in the outcome of prenatal exposure to excess GC in adult mice: in contrast to depression-like behaviour in males, the phenotype in females, defined by behaviour and differential gene expression, is consistent with ADHD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Elberling
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Spulber
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Raj Bose
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hoi Yee Keung
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 15W Science and Technology W Ave, Sha Tin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Virpi Ahola
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 15W Science and Technology W Ave, Sha Tin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongli Zheng
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 15W Science and Technology W Ave, Sha Tin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Sandra Ceccatelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
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Barros CFD, Guarnieri LDO, Mansk LMZ, Secio-Silva A, Emrich F, Ferreira M, Silva WND, Peliciari-Garcia RA, Pereira GS, Bargi-Souza P. The memory impairment by hypothyroidism in mice is dependent on time-of-day and sex. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114595. [PMID: 37482305 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is an endocrine-metabolic disorder, and as such it compromises a wide range of physiological functions. Memory deficits and, the most recently described, circadian rhythm disruption are among the impairments caused by thyroid dysfunctions. However, although highly likely, there is no evidence connecting these two effects of hypothyroidism. Here, we hypothesized the time-of-day interferes with the memory deficit caused by hypothyroidism. C57BL/6 J mice from both sexes were subjected to novel object recognition (NOR) task during the rest and active phases, corresponding to ZT 2-4 and 14-16, respectively (ZT: Zeitgeber time; ZT 0: lights on at 07:00 am). First, we showed that neither sex nor ZT altered object recognition memory (ORM) in euthyroid mice. Next, animals were divided into control (euthyroid) and hypothyroid [induced with methimazole (0.01%) and perchlorate (0.1%) treatment in the drinking water for 21 days] groups. Under euthyroid conditions, male and female mice recognized the novel object regardless of the time-of-day. However, hypothyroidism impaired ORM at rest phase (ZT 2-4) in both sexes. Surprisingly, in the active phase (ZT 14-16), the hypothyroid males performed the NOR, though a longer time to execute the task was required. In contrast, female hypothyroid mice showed a greater impairment in ORM. Our results suggest that hypothyroidism may disrupt the circadian rhythm in brain areas related to mnemonic processes since in euthyroid condition ORM is not affected by the time-of-day. Furthermore, our findings in an animal model indicate a pronounced deleterious effect of hypothyroidism in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Fonseca de Barros
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Leonardo de Oliveira Guarnieri
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Centro de Tecnologia e Pesquisa em Magneto Ressonância, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Lara Monteiro Zanetti Mansk
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ayla Secio-Silva
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Felipe Emrich
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Maíza Ferreira
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Walison Nunes da Silva
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Antonio Peliciari-Garcia
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Setor de Morfofisiologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Grace Schenatto Pereira
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Paula Bargi-Souza
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Gall AJ, Shuboni-Mulligan DD. Keep Your Mask On: The Benefits of Masking for Behavior and the Contributions of Aging and Disease on Dysfunctional Masking Pathways. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:911153. [PMID: 36017187 PMCID: PMC9395722 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.911153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental cues (e.g., light-dark cycle) have an immediate and direct effect on behavior, but these cues are also capable of “masking” the expression of the circadian pacemaker, depending on the type of cue presented, the time-of-day when they are presented, and the temporal niche of the organism. Masking is capable of complementing entrainment, the process by which an organism is synchronized to environmental cues, if the cues are presented at an expected or predictable time-of-day, but masking can also disrupt entrainment if the cues are presented at an inappropriate time-of-day. Therefore, masking is independent of but complementary to the biological circadian pacemaker that resides within the brain (i.e., suprachiasmatic nucleus) when exogenous stimuli are presented at predictable times of day. Importantly, environmental cues are capable of either inducing sleep or wakefulness depending on the organism’s temporal niche; therefore, the same presentation of a stimulus can affect behavior quite differently in diurnal vs. nocturnal organisms. There is a growing literature examining the neural mechanisms underlying masking behavior based on the temporal niche of the organism. However, the importance of these mechanisms in governing the daily behaviors of mammals and the possible implications on human health have been gravely overlooked even as modern society enables the manipulation of these environmental cues. Recent publications have demonstrated that the effects of masking weakens significantly with old age resulting in deleterious effects on many behaviors, including sleep and wakefulness. This review will clearly outline the history, definition, and importance of masking, the environmental cues that induce the behavior, the neural mechanisms that drive them, and the possible implications for human health and medicine. New insights about how masking is affected by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, temporal niche, and age will be discussed as each relates to human health. The overarching goals of this review include highlighting the importance of masking in the expression of daily rhythms, elucidating the impact of aging, discussing the relationship between dysfunctional masking behavior and the development of sleep-related disorders, and considering the use of masking as a non-invasive treatment to help treat humans suffering from sleep-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Gall
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Hope College, Holland, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Andrew J. Gall,
| | - Dorela D. Shuboni-Mulligan
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Senesi P, Ferrulli A, Luzi L, Terruzzi I. Chrono-communication and cardiometabolic health: The intrinsic relationship and therapeutic nutritional promises. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:975509. [PMID: 36176473 PMCID: PMC9513421 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.975509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythm, an innate 24-h biological clock, regulates several mammalian physiological activities anticipating daily environmental variations and optimizing available energetic resources. The circadian machinery is a complex neuronal and endocrinological network primarily organized into a central clock, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and peripheral clocks. Several small molecules generate daily circadian fluctuations ensuring inter-organ communication and coordination between external stimuli, i.e., light, food, and exercise, and body metabolism. As an orchestra, this complex network can be out of tone. Circadian disruption is often associated with obesity development and, above all, with diabetes and cardiovascular disease onset. Moreover, accumulating data highlight a bidirectional relationship between circadian misalignment and cardiometabolic disease severity. Food intake abnormalities, especially timing and composition of meal, are crucial cause of circadian disruption, but evidence from preclinical and clinical studies has shown that food could represent a unique therapeutic approach to promote circadian resynchronization. In this review, we briefly summarize the structure of circadian system and discuss the role playing by different molecules [from leptin to ghrelin, incretins, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15)] to guarantee circadian homeostasis. Based on the recent data, we discuss the innovative nutritional interventions aimed at circadian re-synchronization and, consequently, improvement of cardiometabolic health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Senesi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Ferrulli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Livio Luzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - Ileana Terruzzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Ileana Terruzzi,
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