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Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Metabolism and the circadian clock converge
Kristin Eckel-Mahan1, Paolo Sassone-Corsi
1University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4625, USA.
Physiological Reviews
|January 11, 2013
Summary
Circadian rhythms regulate essential physiological functions, including metabolism. Disrupting these biological rhythms, through factors like shift work, leads to metabolic imbalance and obesity.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Metabolism
- Physiology
Background:
- Circadian rhythms govern numerous physiological processes, impacting sleep, neurotransmitter secretion, and cellular metabolism.
- Epidemiological and animal studies link circadian rhythm disruption to metabolic imbalance and metabolic syndrome.
- The precise mechanisms by which circadian disruption affects metabolic phenotypes are under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the intricate relationship between circadian rhythms and metabolic homeostasis.
- To investigate the impact of circadian disruption on metabolic health.
- To understand how clock genes and physiological rhythms influence metabolism.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological studies on shift work and circadian disruption.
- Analysis of rodent models with circadian arrhythmia and genetically engineered models.
- Examination of molecular and physiological data related to circadian clock genes and metabolic pathways.
Main Results:
- Circadian rhythm disruption is strongly associated with metabolic imbalance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
- Both genetic disruption of clock genes and altered physiological rhythms (e.g., eating, sleeping) contribute to metabolic dysfunction.
- The circadian clock extensively interfaces with metabolic pathways at multiple levels.
Conclusions:
- Circadian rhythms are critical for maintaining metabolic homeostasis.
- Disruption of circadian rhythms poses a significant risk for metabolic disorders.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interactions between the circadian clock and metabolism.
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