Functional changes of the SCN in spontaneous hypertension but not after the induction of hypertension

Differential Fractal and Circadian Patterns in Motor Activity in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats at the Stage of Prehypertension

One possible pathological mechanism underlying hypertension and its related health consequences is dysfunction of the circadian system-a network of coupled circadian clocks that generates and orchestrates rhythms of ≈24 h in behavior and physiology. To better understand the role of circadian function during the development of hypertension, circadian regulation of motor activity is investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) before the onset of hypertension and in their age-matched controls-Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs). Two complementary properties in locomotor activity fluctuations are examined to assessthe multiscale regulatory function of the circadian control network: 1) rhythmicity at ≈24 h and 2) fractal patterns-similar temporal correlation at different time scales (≈0.5-8 h). Compared to WKYs, SHRs have more stable and less fragmented circadian activity rhythms but the changes in the rhythms (e.g., period and amplitude) from constant dark to light conditions are reduced or opposite. SHRs also have altered fractal activity patterns, displaying activity fluctuations with excessive regularity at small timescales that are linked to rigid physiological states. These different rhythmicity/fractal patterns and their different responses to light in SHRs indicate that an altered circadian function may be involved in the development of hypertension.

The multimodal effect of circadian interventions in Parkinson's disease: A narrative review

BACKGROUND

The circadian system and its dysfunction in persons with Parkinson's disease (PwP) has a clear impact on both motor and non-motor symptoms. Examples include circadian patterns in motor disability, with worsening of symptoms throughout the day, but also the existence of similar patterns in non-motor symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

In this narrative review, we discuss the role of the circadian system, we address the role of dopamine in this system, and we summarise the evidence that supports the use of circadian system treatments for motor and non-motor symptoms in PwP.

METHODS

A systematic search in PubMed and Web of Science database was performed and the final search was performed in November 2021. We included articles whose primary aim was to investigate the effect of melatonin, melatonin agonists, and light therapy in PwP.

RESULTS

In total 25 articles were retrieved. Of these, 12 were related to bright light therapy and 13 to melatonin or/and melatonin agonists. Most, but not all, studies showed that melatonin and melatonin agonists and light therapy induced improvements in measures of sleep, depression, motor function, and some also cognitive function and other non-motor symptoms. For some of these outcomes, including daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and some motor symptoms, there is level 2 B evidence for the use of circadian treatments in PwP.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with bright light therapy, exogenous melatonin and melatonin agonists seems to have not only positive effects on sleep quality and depression but also on motor function in PwP. Drawbacks in earlier work include the relatively small number of participants and the heterogeneity of outcome measures. Further large and well-designed trials are needed to address these shortcomings and to confirm or refute the possible merits of the circadian system as a treatment target in PwP.

Early changes of immunoreactivity to orexin in hypothalamus and to RFamide peptides in brainstem during the development of hypertension

Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is an important function of the nervous system and essential for maintaining blood pressure levels in the physiological range. In hypertension, BRS is decreased both in man and animals. Although increased sympathetic activity is thought to be the main cause of decreased BRS, hence the development of hypertension, the BRS is regulated by both sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous system. Here, we analyzed neuropeptide changes in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), which favours the SNS activity, as well as in PNS nuclei in the brainstem of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their normotensive controls (Wistar Kyoto rats- WKY). The analyses revealed that in the WKY rats the hypothalamic orexin system, known for its role in sympathetic activation, showed a substantial decrease when animals age. At the same time, however, such a decrease was not observed when hypertension developed in the SHR. In contrast, Neuropeptide FF (NPFF) and Prolactin Releasing Peptide (PrRP) expression in the PNS associated Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (NTS) and Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus (DMV) diminished substantially, not only after the establishment of hypertension but also before its onset. Therefore, the current results indicate early changes in areas of the central nervous system involved in SNS and PNS control of blood pressure and associated with the development of hypertension.

The circadian system: From clocks to physiology

The circadian system, composed of the central autonomous clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and systems of the body that follow the signals of the SCN, continuously change the homeostatic set points of the body over the day-night cycle. Changes in the body's physiological state that do not agree with the time of the day feedback to the hypothalamus, and provide input to the SCN to adjust the condition, thus reaching another set point required by the changed conditions. This allows the adjustment of the set points to another level when environmental conditions change, which is thought to promote adaptation and survival. In fasting, the body temperature drops to a lower level only at the beginning of the sleep phase. Stressful conditions raise blood pressure relatively more during the active period than during the rest phase. Extensive, mostly reciprocal SCN interactions, with hypothalamic networks, induce these physiological adjustments by hormonal and autonomic control of the body's organs. More importantly, in addition to SCN's hormonal and autonomic influences, SCN induced behavior, such as rhythmic food intake, induces the oscillation of many genes in all tissues, including the so-called clock genes, which have an essential role as a transcriptional driving force for numerous cellular processes. Consequently, the light-dark cycle, the rhythm of the SCN, and the resulting rhythm in behavior need to be perfectly synchronized, especially where it involves synchronizing food intake with the activity phase. If these rhythms are not synchronous for extended periods of times, such as during shift work, light exposure at night, or frequent night eating, disease may develop. As such, our circadian system is a perfect illustration of how hypothalamic-driven processes depend on and interact with each other and need to be in seamless synchrony with the body's physiology.