Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2026

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Is histamine the final neurotransmitter in the entrainment of circadian rhythms in mammals?
E H Jacobs1, A Yamatodani, H Timmerman
1Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.jacobs.pharm@med.vu.nl
Abstract:
Adaptation of circadian rhythms to the environmental light-dark cycle is necessary for the survival of organisms. This synchronization or entrainment is only caused by light (photic input) during the dark period, according to the internal biological clock of an organism. During the light period, internal factors (non-photic input), rather than light, are able to entrain circadian rhythms. In this article, the data that implicate the neurotransmitter system for histamine in circadian entrainment are reviewed. Furthermore, we speculate that histamine receptors are the final gate at which both photic and non-photic entrainment mechanisms converge before sending a resetting signal to the intracellular biological clock.
Related Concept Videos
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The Pineal Gland
The primary secretion of the pineal gland is the hormone melatonin, derived from serotonin. The concentration of melatonin in the...
Hormonal Regulation
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters

