CIRCADIAN RHYTHM OF PLASMA CORTICOSTEROID IN ADULT FEMALE RATS: CHRONOLOGICAL SHIFTS IN ABNORMAL LIGHTING REGIMENS AND CONNECTION WITH OESTROUS CYCLE

1975 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiko Morimoto ◽  
Tatsuo Oishi ◽  
Kazutaka Arisue ◽  
Zensuke Ogawa ◽  
Fumiko Tanaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Constant Light ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Vaginal Smear ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Normal Light ◽  
Lighting Regimen ◽  
Day By Day

ABSTRACT The circadian rhythm of plasma corticosteroid (CS) levels in adult female rats was studied chronologically under the following conditions: normal light-dark (LD), inverted light-dark (DL), constant dark (DD) and constant light (LL). Animals were accustomed to LD condition for 7 days before exposure to each abnormal lighting regimen. Normal circadian rhythm established under LD condition was clearly inverted on the third day of DL regimen, and the inverted rhythm persisted thereafter under DL condition. The circadian CS rhythm persisted essentially unchanged throughout DD condition, but lost its regular periodicity showing "free running" and changed day by day under LL condition. The average CS levels over a 24 h period were higher under LL than under DD condition. Plasma CS levels in each lighting regimen exhibited diurnal variations regardless of the vaginal smear patterns of autopsied animals. Exposure of rats to LL for 21 days made the circadian CS rhythm flat, but induced persistent oestrus in only a few animals. The data suggest that (1) an unexpectedly rapid inversion of the circadian CS rhythm occurs if animals are exposed to inverted light-dark environment; (2) constant darkness seems to be a near-natural environment for rats, and changes little of the pre-established circadian CS rhythm; (3) constant light, on the contrary, is assumed to be a stress for rats, and disrupts the circadian CS rhythm and elevates CS levels; (4) the change in circadian CS rhythm in adult female rats is not mediated by a change in gonadal function and the two conditions may not be connected directly with each other.

Gonadal hormones organize and modulate the circadian system of the rat

1981 ◽  
Vol 241 (1) ◽  
pp. R62-R66 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Albers
Keyword(s):  
Testosterone Propionate ◽  
Wheel Running ◽  
Activity Rhythm ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Circadian System ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Free Running Period

The circadian wheel-running rhythms of gonadectomized adult male, female, and perinatally androgenized female rats, maintained in constant darkness, were examined before and after implantation of Silastic capsules containing cholesterol (C) or estradiol-17 beta (E). The free-running period of the activity rhythm (tau) before capsule implantation tended to be shorter in animals exposed to perinatal androgen. Administration of C did not reliably alter tau in any group. E significantly shortened tau in 100% of females injected with oil on day 3 of life. In females, injected with 3.5 micrograms testosterone propionate on day 3, and males, E shortened or lengthened tau, with the direction and magnitude of this change in tau inversely related to the length of the individual's pretreatment tau. These data indicate that the presence of perinatal androgen does not eliminate the sensitivity of the circadian system of the rat to estrogen, since estrogen alters tau in a manner that depends on its pretreatment length.

Circadian and estrous cycle-dependent variations in blood pressure and heart rate in female rats

1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (5) ◽  
pp. R1250-R1256 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Takezawa ◽  
H. Hayashi ◽  
H. Sano ◽  
H. Saito ◽  
S. Ebihara
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Estrous Cycle ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Dark Phase ◽  
Daily Rhythms ◽  
Abrupt Decrease ◽  
Internal Phase ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Cycle Dependent

To determine whether cardiovascular functions are controlled by the endogenous circadian system and whether they change with the estrous cycle in female rats, we measured mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and spontaneous activity (ACT) of female rats using an implantable radiotelemetry device and a computerized data-collecting system. Under a 12:12-h light-dark (LD) cycle, these parameters exhibited daily rhythms that were entrained to the photic cycle. The patterns of the daily rhythms varied with estrous cycles, and variations were particularly marked in the proestrous stage. During the dark period of this stage, ACT levels were significantly higher, but HR was significantly lower than in other stages. Although the peak MAP occurred within 2 h after the onset of the dark phase in three of the estrous stages, it occurred around midnight in the proestrous stage. Such estrous cycle-dependent variations were eliminated by ovariectomy. The implantation of 17 beta-estradiol produced a gradual increase in MAP and an abrupt decrease in HR. During constant darkness, all three parameters were free running, maintaining the same internal phase relationships with each other as during LD cycles. These results indicate that daily variations in these parameters were controlled by the endogenous circadian oscillating system, that they vary with the estrous cycle in female rats, and that estrogen may be responsible for these estrous cycle-dependent variations.

A circadian rhythm of behavioural thermoregulation in a freshwater gastropod, Helisoma trivolis

1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2152-2155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Kavaliers
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Dark Phase ◽  
Behavioural Thermoregulation ◽  
Dark Cycle ◽  
Preferred Temperature ◽  
Temperature Selection ◽  
Freshwater Gastropod ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Maximum Temperatures

The behaviour of the aquatic gastropod Helisoma trivolis was examined in a thermal gradient. Under a 12 h light: 12 h dark cycle gastropods displayed a diel rhythm of preferred temperature selection. Maximum temperatures (21–22 °C) were selected during the dark phase and minimum temperatures (17–18 °C) were selected during the light phase of the light–dark cycle. Under constant darkness temperature selection continued as an endogenous free-running circadian rhythm of behavioural thermoregulation.

ASSESSMENT OF OVARIAN SECRETION OF OESTROGEN DURING THE OESTROUS CYCLE BY THE USE OF BIOLOGICAL CRITERIA

1968 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
AYALLA BARNEA ◽  
T. GERSHONOWITZ ◽  
M. C. SHELESNYAK
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Oestrous Cycle ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Vaginal Smear ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Biological Criteria

SUMMARY Adult female rats were ovariectomized at various stages of the oestrous cycle; configuration of the vaginal smear and uterine wet weights were determined at various time-intervals after operation. The results suggested that oestrogen secretion is lowest at oestrus and metoestrus, increases gradually during dioestrus, and continues until the evening of pro-oestrus; progesterone is secreted on the afternoon and evening of pro-oestrus.

EFFECTS OF PINEALECTOMY AND CONSTANT LIGHT AND DARKNESS ON PROLACTIN LEVELS IN THE PITUITARY AND PLASMA AND ON PITUITARY ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE RAT

1972 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-NP ◽  
Author(s):  
R. RELKIN ◽  
M. ADACHI ◽  
S. A. KAHAN
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Virgin Female ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Constant Light ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Plasma Prolactin ◽  
Continuous Darkness ◽  
Prolactin Content ◽  
Intermediate Degree ◽  
Pituitary Prolactin

SUMMARY The effects of constant light, constant darkness and diurnal lighting, in combination with pinealectomy or sham-pinealectomy, on pituitary and plasma concentrations of radioimmunoassayable prolactin were investigated in 8-week-old male and virgin female rats. Two to three days after operation random groups of pinealectomized and sham-pinealectomized animals of the same sex were placed together in either continous light, continuous darkness or diurnal light, and killed 21 days later. Compared with sham-operated diurnally-illuminated controls, constant darkness caused a decrease in pituitary prolactin content and a rise in plasma prolactin levels. Pinealectomy or constant illumination reversed the effect of constant darkness, resulting in an increase in pituitary prolactin content and a fall in plasma prolactin levels when compared with sham-operated diurnally-illuminated controls. Electron microscopy of lactotrophic cells of the sham-pinealectomized animals exposed to constant darkness revealed few cytoplasmic granules, whereas these cells in the sham-pinealectomized animals exposed to constant light contained abundant granules; compared with the former groups, lactotrophic cells of sham-pinealectomized rats exposed to diurnal lighting revealed an intermediate degree of granulation.

Dissociation of motor activity circadian rhythm in rats after exposure to LD cycles of 4-h period

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. R95-R102 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Vilaplana ◽  
T. Cambras ◽  
A. Diez-Noguera
Keyword(s):  
Motor Activity ◽  
Activity Rhythm ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Constant Light ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Circadian Oscillators ◽  
Entrainment Process ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Anticipatory Activity ◽  
Degree Of Coupling

For > 30 days Wistar rats were subjected to six dark pulses per day (T4 cycles; 3 h light, 1 h dark) to study the possibility of dissociating their motor activity rhythm into distinct circadian components. Rats of both sexes were used, one-half of which were pinealectomized to examine the effect of the pineal gland on the entrainment process. Results show that when rats were maintained under T4 a 4-h rhythm in their motor activity was present. Rats showed anticipatory activity to dark phases, suggesting that the motor activity components are actually entrained to the external light/dark (LD) cycles. When rats were left under constant darkness after T4, some motor activity components coming from the dark phases free ran for several days with different circadian periods. This suggests that the motor activity pattern is generated by several circadian oscillators. Moreover, the free-running components of motor activity after T4 were more evident when T4 was applied after exposure to constant light than after exposure to constant darkness. These results support the hypothesis that the circadian system of the rat is formed by several circadian oscillators, whose degree of coupling depends on light conditions. In constant light, bright light may inhibit internal coupling within the system, making it subsequently more susceptible to the T4 cycles. No differences were observed between pinealectomized and sham-operated animals, although females were more sensitive to T4 cycles than males.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PINEAL GLAND, THE HARDERIAN GLANDS, THE RETINA, AND THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF ADULT FEMALE RATS EXPOSED TO CONTINUOUS LIGHT

1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. REITER ◽  
D. C. KLEIN
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Continuous Light ◽  
Harderian Gland ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Constant Light ◽  
Continuous Illumination ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Surgical Removal ◽  
Harderian Glands

SUMMARY Harderian gland removal caused enlargement of the uteri of adult female albino rats which were maintained in 14 h light and 10 h darkness/day. Constant light exposure led to regression of the ovaries, adrenal glands and Harderian glands while the uteri exhibited a significant hypertrophic response. None of these changes were affected by surgical removal of the Harderian glands. The eyes and the retinas of albino rats maintained under continuous illumination underwent atrophic changes with the receptor cell elements of the retinas completely disappearing within 9½ weeks. Constant light obliterated the diurnal rhythm in the pineal enzyme, N-acetyltransferase. Neither the activity of pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyl-transferase nor the activity of pineal N-acetyltransferase were influenced by removal of the Harderian glands.

DAILY RHYTHM IN SECRETION OF PROLACTIN IN ANDROGENIZED FEMALE RATS

1980 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEAH YOGEV ◽  
JOSEPH TERKEL
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Testosterone Propionate ◽  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
Daily Rhythm ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Cervical Stimulation

Androgen-sterilized female rats were obtained by administering 10 μg testosterone propionate to pups on day 2 after birth. In contrast with ovariectomized adults, androgenized adult female rats are incapable of responding to cervical stimulation by secreting prolactin in the nocturnal surge pattern. In spite of the loss of this pattern the androgenized female rats still exhibited a daily circadian rhythm of prolactin secretion with afternoon levels three times higher than those after midnight.

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