Chronobiology of the intestinal tract of the mouse

This paper summarizes recent and continuing work on circadian rhythms in the alimentary tract of rodents; these include: (1) cell proliferation, (2) activities of intestinal enzymes, and (3) behavioral aspects of spontaneous feeding and drinking. All regions of the intestinal tract show marked circadian behavior in cell proliferation. The roles of the light-dark cycle and meal timing in synchronizing such rhythms are discussed as well as the influence of epidermal growth factor, insulin, glucagon, and ACTH 1-17. Attention is called to the potential importance of these rhythms to basic research and medicine. Other circadian rhythms in the alimentary tract are reviewed briefly, such as those characterizing a host of intestinal enzymes, monosaccharide transport, and the height and width of the villi. Many of these have been shown to be cued to a feeding schedule; however, a number of the enzyme rhythms persist for one or two cycles in fasting animals, and this also is the case for the cell-proliferation rhythms. After having been acclimated to a circadian feeding schedule (within a range of 23-30 hr), rodents can on subsequent days anticipate the food an hour or more prior to its arrival. Some enzymes behave in a similar manner in that their activities increase prior to the expected intake of the daily food. These anticipatory response rhythms are under endogenous control, since both will persist in the fasted animal and both will free run when a mouse is placed under constant conditions. Somehow these animals are able to measure circadian intervals of time. This challenges the concept that the oscillations seen in enzyme activities are simply a passive consequence of feeding and fasting, respectively.