The circadian clock within the heart: potential influence on myocardial gene expression, metabolism, and function

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology Vol. 290; no. 1; pp. H1 - H16
• Main Author: Young, Martin E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Clocks - physiology; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation; Heart - drug effects; Heart - physiology; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - cytology; Myocardium - metabolism; Myocytes, Cardiac - physiology; Transcription Factors - physiology
• ISSN: 0363-6135; 1522-1539
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00582.2005

United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas It is becoming increasingly clear that the intrinsic properties of both the heart and vasculature exhibit dramatic oscillations over the course of the day. Diurnal variations in the responsiveness of the cardiovascular system to environmental stimuli are mediated by a complex interplay between extracellular (i.e., neurohumoral factors) and intracellular (i.e., circadian clock) influences. The intracellular circadian clock is composed of a series of transcriptional modulators that together allow the cell to perceive the time of day, thereby enabling preparation for an anticipated stimulus. These molecular timepieces have been characterized recently within both vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes, giving rise to a multitude of hypotheses relating to the potential role(s) of the circadian clock as a modulator of physiological and pathophysiological cardiovascular events. For example, evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that the circadian clock within the heart modulates myocardial metabolism, which in turn facilitates anticipation of diurnal variations in workload, substrate availability, and/or the energy supply-to-demand ratio. The purpose of this review is therefore to summarize our current understanding of the molecular events governing diurnal variations in the intrinsic properties of the heart, with special emphasis on the intramyocardial circadian clock. Whether impairment of this molecular mechanism contributes toward cardiovascular disease associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, shift work, sleep apnea, and/or obesity will be discussed. anticipation; cardiovascular; diurnal variations; zeitgeber Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: M. E. Young, United States Dept. of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Dept. of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates St., Houston, TX 77030 (e-mail: meyoung{at}bcm.edu )