Faculty Collaboration Database

Aging differentially affects the re-entrainment response of central and peripheral circadian oscillators. J Neurosci 2012 Nov 14;32(46):16193-202

Date

11/16/2012

Pubmed ID

23152603

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3507430

DOI

10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3559-12.2012

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84869030620 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   121 Citations

Abstract

Aging produces a decline in the amplitude and precision of 24 h behavioral, endocrine, and metabolic rhythms, which are regulated in mammals by a central circadian pacemaker within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and local oscillators in peripheral tissues. Disruption of the circadian system, as experienced during transmeridian travel, can lead to adverse health consequences, particularly in the elderly. To test the hypothesis that age-related changes in the response to simulated jet lag will reflect altered circadian function, we examined re-entrainment of central and peripheral oscillators from young and old PER2::luciferase mice. As in previous studies, locomotor activity rhythms in older mice required more days to re-entrain following a shift than younger mice. At the tissue level, effects of age on baseline entrainment were evident, with older mice displaying earlier phases for the majority of peripheral oscillators studied and later phases for cells within most SCN subregions. Following a 6 h advance of the light:dark cycle, old mice displayed slower rates of re-entrainment for peripheral tissues but a larger, more rapid SCN response compared to younger mice. Thus, aging alters the circadian timing system in a manner that differentially affects the re-entrainment responses of central and peripheral circadian clocks. This pattern of results suggests that a major consequence of aging is a decrease in pacemaker amplitude, which would slow re-entrainment of peripheral oscillators and reduce SCN resistance to external perturbation.

Author List

Sellix MT, Evans JA, Leise TL, Castanon-Cervantes O, Hill DD, DeLisser P, Block GD, Menaker M, Davidson AJ

Author

Jennifer A. Evans PhD Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Sciences department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aging
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Biological Clocks
Brain
Central Nervous System
Circadian Rhythm
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Jet Lag Syndrome
Luciferases
Luminescence
Male
Mice
Mice, Neurologic Mutants
Motor Activity
Period Circadian Proteins
Peripheral Nervous System
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Tissue Culture Techniques