bims-ciryme 2022-05-08 papers

Issue of 2022‒05‒08
three papers selected by
Gabriela Da Silva Xavier
University of Birmingham

Science. 2022 May 05. e

Circadian alignment of early onset caloric restriction promotes longevity in male C57BL/6J mice.

Victoria Acosta-Rodríguez, Filipa Rijo-Ferreira, Mariko Izumo, Pin Xu, Mary Wight-Carter, Carla B Green, Joseph S Takahashi.

Caloric restriction (CR) prolongs lifespan, yet the mechanisms by which it does so remain poorly understood. Under CR, mice self-impose chronic cycles of 2-hour-feeding and 22-hour-fasting, raising the question whether calories, fasting, or time of day are causal. We show that 30%-CR is sufficient to extend lifespan 10%; however, a daily fasting interval and circadian-alignment of feeding act together to extend lifespan 35% in male C57BL/6J mice. These effects are independent of body weight. Aging induces widespread increases in gene expression associated with inflammation and decreases in expression of genes encoding components of metabolic pathways in liver from ad lib fed mice. CR at night ameliorates these aging-related changes. Thus, circadian interventions promote longevity and provide a perspective to further explore mechanisms of aging.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0297

Front Neurosci. 2022 ;16 855154

Chronic Exposure to Dim Light at Night or Irregular Lighting Conditions Impact Circadian Behavior, Motor Coordination, and Neuronal Morphology.

Tara C Delorme, Shashank B Srikanta, Angus S Fisk, Marie-Ève Cloutier, Miho Sato, Carina A Pothecary, Chantal Merz, Russell G Foster, Steven A Brown, Stuart N Peirson, Nicolas Cermakian, Gareth T Banks.

Mistimed exposure to light has been demonstrated to negatively affect multiple aspects of physiology and behavior. Here we analyzed the effects of chronic exposure to abnormal lighting conditions in mice. We exposed mice for 1 year to either: a standard light/dark cycle, a "light-pollution" condition in which low levels of light were present in the dark phase of the circadian cycle (dim light at night, DLAN), or altered light cycles in which the length of the weekday and weekend light phase differed by 6 h ("social jetlag"). Mice exhibited several circadian activity phenotypes, as well as changes in motor function, associated particularly with the DLAN condition. Our data suggest that these phenotypes might be due to changes outside the core clock. Dendritic spine changes in other brain regions raise the possibility that these phenotypes are mediated by changes in neuronal coordination outside of the clock. Given the prevalence of artificial light exposure in the modern world, further work is required to establish whether these negative effects are observed in humans as well.

Keywords: aging; behavior; bioluminescence; circadian disruption; dendritic morphology; light at night

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.855154

Sci Rep. 2022 May 05. 12(1): 7366

Early life circadian rhythm disruption in mice alters brain and behavior in adulthood.

Rafal W Ameen, Allison Warshawski, Lucia Fu, Michael C Antle.

Healthy sleep supports robust development of the brain and behavior. Modern society presents a host of challenges that can impair and disrupt critical circadian rhythms that reinforce optimal physiological functioning, including the proper timing and consolidation of sleep. While the acute effects of inadequate sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms are being defined, the adverse developmental consequences of disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms are understudied. Here, we exposed mice to disrupting light-dark cycles from birth until weaning and demonstrate that such exposure has adverse impacts on brain and behavior as adults. Mice that experience early-life circadian disruption exhibit more anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, poorer spatial memory in the Morris Water Maze, and impaired working memory in a delayed match-to-sample task. Additionally, neuron morphology in the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex is adversely impacted. Pyramidal cells in these areas had smaller dendritic fields, and pyramidal cells in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus also exhibited diminished branching orders. Disrupted mice were also hyperactive as adults, but otherwise exhibited no alteration in adult circadian locomotor rhythms. These results highlight that circadian disruption early in life may have long lasting and far-reaching consequences for the development of behavior and the brain.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11335-0