Attenuated Food Anticipatory Activity and Abnormal Circadian Locomotor Rhythms in Rgs16 Knockdown Mice

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) are a multi-functional protein family, which functions in part as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) of G protein α-subunits to terminate G protein signaling. Previous studies have demonstrated that the Rgs16 transcripts exhibit robust circadian rhythms both in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian light-entrainable oscillator (LEO) of the hypothalamus, and in the liver. To investigate the role of RGS16 in the circadian clock in vivo, we generated two independent transgenic mouse lines using lentiviral vectors expressing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting the Rgs16 mRNA. The knockdown mice demonstrated significantly shorter free-running period of locomotor activity rhythms and reduced total activity as compared to the wild-type siblings. In addition, when feeding was restricted during the daytime, food-entrainable oscillator (FEO)-driven elevated food-anticipatory activity (FAA) observed prior to the scheduled feeding time was significantly attenuated in the knockdown mice. Whereas the restricted feeding phase-advanced the rhythmic expression of the Per2 clock gene in liver and thalamus in the wild-type animals, the above phase shift was not observed in the knockdown mice. This is the first in vivo demonstration that a common regulator of G protein signaling is involved in the two separate, but interactive circadian timing systems, LEO and FEO. The present study also suggests that liver and/or thalamus regulate the food-entrained circadian behavior through G protein-mediated signal transduction pathway(s)

Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ)

In this study, we aimed to (1) translate the English version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ), which assesses motor imagery ability, into Japanese, and (2) investigate the reliability and validity of the Japanese KVIQ. We enrolled 28 healthy adults in this study. We used Cronbach’s alpha coefficients to assess reliability reflected by the internal consistency. Additionally, we assessed validity reflected by the criterion-related validity between the Japanese KVIQ and the Japanese version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R) with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the KVIQ-20 were 0.88 (Visual) and 0.91 (Kinesthetic), which indicates high reliability. There was a significant positive correlation between the Japanese KVIQ-20 (Total) and the Japanese MIQ-R (Total) (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that the Japanese KVIQ is an assessment that is a reliable and valid index of motor imagery ability

Acute Effects of Transdermal Administration of Jojoba Oil on Lipid Metabolism in Mice

Background and objectives: Aroma therapy is a complementary therapy using essential oils diluted with carrier oils. Jojoba oils have been widely used as carrier oils. However, limited information is available regarding their effects on blood biochemical parameters. This study aimed to investigate the effect of transdermal administration of jojoba oil on blood biochemical parameters in mice. Materials and Methods: Eight-week-old male hairless mice were randomly divided into naïve control and treatment groups. In the treatment group, mice were topically administered 4 μL of jojoba oil, per gram of body weight, on the dorsa 30 min before euthanasia. Thereafter, serum biochemical parameters were assayed, and gene expression was analyzed in various tissues via a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Serum non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels increased significantly 30 min after topical application of jojoba oil (p < 0.05). Atgl was significantly upregulated in the liver (p < 0.05), and Atgl upregulation in the liver was positively correlated with serum NEFA levels (r = 0.592, p < 0.05). Furthermore, a trend of decreasing fatty acid trafficking-related gene (FABPpm, FATP-1, FATP-3, and FATP-4) expression in the skin after topical application of jojoba oil (p = 0.067, 0.074, 0.076, and 0.082, respectively) was observed. Conclusions: Serum NEFA levels were elevated 30 min after transdermal administration of jojoba oil. The mechanisms of elevated serum NEFA levels might be related to both enhanced lipolysis in the liver and reduced fatty acid trafficking in the skin

Atypical expression of circadian clock genes in denervated mouse skeletal muscle

<div><p>The central circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus synchronizes peripheral clocks through neural and humoral signals in most mammalian tissues. Here, we analyzed the effects of unilateral sciatic denervation on the expression of circadian clock- and clock-controlled genes in the gastrocnemius muscles of mice twice per day on days 0, 3, 7, 9, 11 and 14 after denervation and six times on each of days 7 and 28 after denervation to assess the regulation mechanism of the circadian clock in skeletal muscle. Sciatic denervation did not affect systemic circadian rhythms since core body temperature (Day 7), corticosterone secretion (Days 7 and 28), and hepatic clock gene expression remained intact (Days 7 and 28). Expression levels of most circadian clock-related genes such as <i>Arntl, Per1, Rora, Nr1d1</i> and <i>Dbp</i> were reduced in accordance with the extent of muscle atrophy, although circadian <i>Per2</i> expression was significantly augmented (Day 28). Cosinor analysis revealed that the circadian expression of <i>Arntl</i> (Days 7 and 28) and <i>Dbp</i> (Day 28) was phase advanced in denervated muscle. The mRNA expression of <i>Clock</i> was significantly increased in denervated muscle on Day 3 when the severe atrophy was absent, and it was not affected by atrophic progression for 28 days. Sciatic denervation did not affect the expression of these genes in the contralateral muscle (Days 7 and 28), suggesting that humoral changes were not involved in denervation-induced muscle clock disruption. We then analyzed genome-wide gene expression using microarrays to determine the effects of disrupting the molecular clock in muscle on circadian rhythms at Day 7. Among 478 circadian genes, 313 lost rhythmicity in the denervated muscles. These denervation-sensitive genes included the lipid metabolism-related genes, <i>Nrip1, Bbs1, Ptgis, Acot1, Scd2, Hpgd, Insig1, Dhcr24, Ldlr</i> and <i>Mboat1</i>. Our findings revealed that sciatic denervation disrupts the circadian expression of clock and clock-controlled genes either directly or indirectly via muscle atrophy in the gastrocnemius muscles of mice in a gene-specific manner.</p></div

Acute Induction of Eya3 by Late-Night Light Stimulation Triggers TSHβ Expression in Photoperiodism

SummaryLiving organisms detect seasonal changes in day length (photoperiod) [1–3] and alter their physiological functions accordingly to fit seasonal environmental changes. TSHβ, induced in the pars tuberalis (PT), plays a key role in the pathway that regulates vertebrate photoperiodism [4, 5]. However, the upstream inducers of TSHβ expression remain unknown. Here we performed genome-wide expression analysis of the PT under chronic short-day and long-day conditions in melatonin-proficient CBA/N mice, in which the photoperiodic TSHβ expression response is preserved [6]. This analysis identified “short-day” and “long-day” genes, including TSHβ, and further predicted the acute induction of long-day genes by late-night light stimulation. We verified this by advancing and extending the light period by 8 hr, which induced TSHβ expression within one day. In the following genome-wide expression analysis under this acute long-day condition, we searched for candidate upstream genes by looking for expression that preceded TSHβ's, and we identified the Eya3 gene. We demonstrated that Eya3 and its partner Six1 synergistically activate TSHβ expression and that this activation is further enhanced by Tef and Hlf. These results elucidate the comprehensive transcriptional photoperiodic response in the PT, revealing the complex regulation of TSHβ expression and unexpectedly rapid response to light changes in the mammalian photoperiodic system

Wheat alkylresorcinols reduce micellar solubility of cholesterol <i>in vitro</i> and increase cholesterol excretion in mice

<p>Epidemiological studies have shown that the consumption of whole grains can reduce risk for metabolic disorders. We recently showed that chronic supplementation with wheat alkylresorcinols (ARs) prevents glucose intolerance and insulin resistance with hepatic lipid accumulation induced in mice by a high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFHSD). This study examines the effects of ARs on the micellar solubility of cholesterol <i>in vitro</i>, as well as the effects of transient AR supplementation on faecal lipid excretion and plasma lipid levels in mice. We found that ARs formed bile micelles with taurocholate independently of phospholipids, and dose-dependently decreased the micellar solubility of cholesterol in a biliary micelle model. Transient AR supplementation with HFHSD increased faecal cholesterol and triglyceride contents and decreased plasma cholesterol concentrations. These suggest that one underlying mechanism through which ARs suppress diet-induced obesity is by interfering with the micellar cholesterol solubilisation in the digestive tract, which subsequently decreases cholesterol absorption.</p

Wheat alkylresorcinols reduce micellar solubility of cholesterol <i>in vitro</i> and increase cholesterol excretion in mice

<p>Epidemiological studies have shown that the consumption of whole grains can reduce risk for metabolic disorders. We recently showed that chronic supplementation with wheat alkylresorcinols (ARs) prevents glucose intolerance and insulin resistance with hepatic lipid accumulation induced in mice by a high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFHSD). This study examines the effects of ARs on the micellar solubility of cholesterol <i>in vitro</i>, as well as the effects of transient AR supplementation on faecal lipid excretion and plasma lipid levels in mice. We found that ARs formed bile micelles with taurocholate independently of phospholipids, and dose-dependently decreased the micellar solubility of cholesterol in a biliary micelle model. Transient AR supplementation with HFHSD increased faecal cholesterol and triglyceride contents and decreased plasma cholesterol concentrations. These suggest that one underlying mechanism through which ARs suppress diet-induced obesity is by interfering with the micellar cholesterol solubilisation in the digestive tract, which subsequently decreases cholesterol absorption.</p