The influence of neuronal electrical activity on the mammalian central clock metabolome

Most organisms display circadian rhythms in physiology and behaviour. In mammals, these rhythms are orchestrated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Recently, several metabolites have emerged as important regulators of circadian timekeeping. Metabolomics approaches have aided in identifying some key metabolites in circadian processes in peripheral tissue, but methods to routinely measure metabolites in small brain areas are currently lacking.

The aim of the study was to establish a reliable method for metabolite quantifications in the central circadian clock and relate them to different states of neuronal excitability.

We developed a method to collect and process small brain tissue samples (0.2 mm³), suitable for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Metabolites were analysed in the SCN and one of its main hypothalamic targets, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Tissue samples were taken at peak (midday) and trough (midnight) of the endogenous rhythm in SCN electrical activity. Additionally, neuronal activity was altered pharmacologically.

We found a minor effect of day/night fluctuations in electrical activity or silencing activity during the day. In contrast, increasing electrical activity during the night significantly upregulated many metabolites in SCN and PVN.

Our method has shown to produce reliable and physiologically relevant metabolite data from small brain samples. Inducing electrical activity at night mimics the effect of a light pulses in the SCN, producing phase shifts of the circadian rhythm. The upregulation of metabolites could have a functional role in this process, since they are not solely products of physiological states, they are significant parts of cellular signalling pathways.