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Changes of Dietary Fat and Carbohydrate Content Alter Central and Peripheral Clock in Humans
Olga Pivovarova1, Karsten Jürchott1, Natalia Rudovich1
1Department of Clinical Nutrition (O.P., N.R., S.H., Y.L., S.M., V.M., K.K., A.-C.S., M.K., A.F.H.P.), German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany; Department of Endocrinology (O.P., N.R., Y.L., V.M., K.K., M.K., A.F.H.P.), Diabetes and Nutrition, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité University Medicine, 12203 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (K.J.), Charité University Medicine, 13353 Berlin, Germany; Institute for Pharmacology (C.M.-G.), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Laboratory of Chronobiology (J.M., A.K.), Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité University Medicine, 10115 Berlin, Germany; and HealthTwiSt GmbH (A.B.), 13125 Berlin, Germany.
Context:
The circadian clock coordinates numerous metabolic processes with light-dark and feeding regimens. However, in humans it is unknown whether dietary patterns influence circadian rhythms.
Objective:
We examined the effects of switching from a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet to a low-carbohydrate, high fat (LC/HFD) isocaloric diet on the central and peripheral circadian clocks in humans.
Design:
Diurnal patterns of salivary cortisol and gene expression were analyzed in blood monocytes of 29 nonobese healthy subjects before and 1 and 6 weeks after the dietary switch. For this, we established a method of rhythm prediction by 3-time point data.
Results:
The centrally driven cortisol rhythm showed a phase delay 1 and 6 weeks after the dietary switch to a LC/HFD as well as an amplitude increase. The dietary switch altered diurnal oscillations of core clock genes (PER1, PER2, PER3, and TEF) and inflammatory genes (CD14, CD180, NFKBIA, and IL1B). The LC/HFD also affected the expression of nonoscillating genes contributing to energy metabolism (SIRT1) and fat metabolism (ACOX3 and IDH3A). Expression of clock genes but not of salivary cortisol in monocytes tightly correlated with levels of blood lipids and with expression of metabolic and inflammatory genes.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that the modulation of the dietary fat and carbohydrate content alters the function of the central and peripheral circadian clocks in humans.
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