Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Light and plasma melatonin rhythm in humans

K Honma1, S Hashimoto, T Endo

  • 1Department of Physiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.

Biological Signals
|July 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Human plasma melatonin rhythm is a stable indicator of the body's internal clock. It can desynchronize from sleep-wake cycles and shift in response to light, making it a key marker for circadian rhythms.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Tannerella forsythia-produced methylglyoxal causes accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts to trigger cytokine secretion in human monocytes.

Molecular oral microbiology·2018
Same author

High-pressure Sterilization of Ice Nucleation-active Xanthomonas campestris and Its Application to Egg Processing.

Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry·2016
Same author

Switching of Dirac-Fermion Mass at the Interface of Ultrathin Ferromagnet and Rashba Metal.

Physical review letters·2016
Same author

Cord blood transplantation is associated with rapid B-cell neogenesis compared with BM transplantation.

Bone marrow transplantation·2014
Same author

Dynamics of oxygen Rydberg atom generation following O 1s inner-shell excitation of H₂O.

The Journal of chemical physics·2014
Same author

Genetic characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of periodontal pathogens.

Advances in dental research·2014

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Human Physiology
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • The human circadian system governs numerous physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles and hormone secretion.
  • Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, plays a crucial role in regulating circadian rhythms.
  • Understanding the stability and responsiveness of the plasma melatonin rhythm is essential for characterizing the human circadian pacemaker.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the stability of the plasma melatonin rhythm in humans.
  • To examine the relationship between the plasma melatonin rhythm and the sleep-wake rhythm.
  • To assess the response of the plasma melatonin rhythm to light exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Blood samples were collected at 1-hour intervals to monitor plasma melatonin levels.
  • Phase shifts in melatonin rhythm were analyzed in relation to sleep-wake patterns.
  • The impact of bright-light pulses on melatonin rhythm phase was evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Plasma melatonin rhythm exhibited day-to-day phase variation within 1.4 hours, indicating relative stability.
  • Spontaneous desynchronization between melatonin rhythm and sleep-wake rhythm was observed, suggesting a common underlying circadian pacemaker.
  • Light pulses induced phase shifts in melatonin rhythm, with varying effects on ascending and descending phases.
  • A case of partial entrainment was noted, where melatonin rhythm free-ran while the sleep-wake rhythm appeared entrained to a 24-hour cycle.

Conclusions:

  • The plasma melatonin rhythm is a reliable marker for the human circadian pacemaker.
  • Melatonin rhythm stability is high, but it can be influenced by light and desynchronize from behavioral rhythms.
  • These findings have implications for understanding circadian disorders and developing chronobiological interventions.

Related Experiment Videos