High-Fat Diet Disrupts Behavioral and Molecular Circadian Rhythms in Mice

• Published in: Cell metabolism Vol. 6; no. 5; pp. 414 - 421
• Main Authors: Kohsaka, Akira, Laposky, Aaron D., Ramsey, Kathryn Moynihan, Estrada, Carmela, Joshu, Corinne, Kobayashi, Yumiko, Turek, Fred W., Bass, Joseph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Central Nervous System - drug effects; Circadian Rhythm - drug effects; CLOCK Proteins; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; HUMDISEASE; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Motor Activity - drug effects; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - physiology; SIGNALING; Trans-Activators - genetics; Trans-Activators - physiology; HUMDISEASE; SIGNALING
• ISSN: 1550-4131; 1932-7420
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2007.09.006

The circadian clock programs daily rhythms and coordinates multiple behavioral and physiological processes, including activity, sleep, feeding, and fuel homeostasis. Recent studies indicate that genetic alteration in the core molecular clock machinery can have pronounced effects on both peripheral and central metabolic regulatory signals. Many metabolic systems also cycle and may in turn affect function of clock genes and circadian systems. However, little is known about how alterations in energy balance affect the clock. Here we show that a high-fat diet in mice leads to changes in the period of the locomotor activity rhythm and alterations in the expression and cycling of canonical circadian clock genes, nuclear receptors that regulate clock transcription factors, and clock-controlled genes involved in fuel utilization in the hypothalamus, liver, and adipose tissue. These results indicate that consumption of a high-calorie diet alters the function of the mammalian circadian clock.