Feeding period restriction alters the expression of peripheral circadian rhythm genes without changing body weight in mice

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49993. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049993. Epub 2012 Nov 15.

Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that the circadian clock is closely associated with metabolic regulation. However, whether an impaired circadian clock is a direct cause of metabolic dysregulation such as body weight gain is not clearly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that body weight gain in mice is not significantly changed by restricting feeding period to daytime or nighttime. The expression of peripheral circadian clock genes was altered by feeding period restriction, while the expression of light-regulated hypothalamic circadian clock genes was unaffected by either a normal chow diet (NCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD). In the liver, the expression pattern of circadian clock genes, including Bmal1, Clock, and Per2, was changed by different feeding period restrictions. Moreover, the expression of lipogenic genes, gluconeogenic genes, and fatty acid oxidation-related genes in the liver was also altered by feeding period restriction. Given that feeding period restriction does not affect body weight gain with a NCD or HFD, it is likely that the amount of food consumed might be a crucial factor in determining body weight. Collectively, these data suggest that feeding period restriction modulates the expression of peripheral circadian clock genes, which is uncoupled from light-sensitive hypothalamic circadian clock genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Body Weight / physiology*
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Circadian Rhythm / genetics*
  • Circadian Rhythm / physiology
  • Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Feeding Methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • Hypothalamus / metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Time Factors
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • Triglycerides
  • Cholesterol

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Creative Research Initiative Program (2012-0001241), the World Class University Project (R31-10032), and the National Research Foundation (NRF) (20120006079), which are funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST). HJ, GL, JBK and YJP were supported by a BK21 Research Fellowship from MEST. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.