Circadian phase-response curves for simulated dawn and dusk twilights in hamsters

Phase shifts of the circadian rhythm of wheel-running activity were compared in Syrian hamsters maintained in constant darkness and exposed to 1-h naturalistic dawn or dusk twilight ramps (0.003-10 lx), or to 1-h rectangular light pulses (1 lx) providing equal photon exposure. The phase-response curves (PRCs) for dusk and rectangular pulses were virtually identical and resembled the PRC for dawn pulses, except that the mean phase advance caused by dawn pulses at circadian time 19 (CT 19) was approximately 1 h smaller. This difference could not be accounted for by differences in the amount of wheel-running observed during light pulse exposure, because the animals ran more during dusk pulses than during either of the other two pulse types. In a second experiment, 15-min rectangular light pulses (1 lx) immediately preceded by a 47-min dawn ramp caused smaller phase delays at CT 13 than rectangular pulses alone, despite a 40% increase in total photon exposure, but phase advances at CT 19 did not differ between the two light treatments. These results indicate that phase shifts of the circadian pacemaker in hamsters are determined primarily, though not entirely, by total photon exposure. They also indicate that dawn pulses may be less effective than dusk or rectangular pulses at certain circadian phases, possibly due to light adaptation during the early portion of the dawn twilight.