Advanced sleep schedules affect circadian gene expression in young adults with delayed sleep schedules

Abstract

Background Human circadian rhythms are regulated by the interplay between circadian genes and environmental stimuli. The influence of altered sleep/wake schedules or light on human circadian gene expression patterns is not well characterized. Methods Twenty-one participants were asked to keep to their usual sleep schedules and two blood samples were drawn at the end of the first week for each subject based upon estimated time of dim light melatonin onset (DLMO); the first sample was obtained one and a half hours before the estimated DLMO and the second three hours later, at one and a half hours after the estimated DLMO. During the second week, participants were randomized into two groups, one that received a one hour “blue” light (λmax = 470 nm) exposure in the morning and one that received a comparable morning “dim” light exposure. Two blood samples were obtained at the same clock times as previous week at the end of the second week. Results We measured the expression of 10 circadian genes in response to sleep/wake schedule advancement and morning “blue” light stimulation in the peripheral blood of 21 young adults during a two week field study. We found that nine of the 10 circadian genes showed significant expression changes from the first to the second week for participants in both the “blue” and “dim” light groups, likely reflecting significant advances in circadian time. Conclusions This wholesale change in circadian clock gene expression may reflect significant advances in circadian time (i.e., advance in DLMO) from the first to the second week resulting from the advanced, daily personal light exposures.

How sleep and wakefulness influence circadian rhythmicity: effects of insufficient and mistimed sleep on the animal and human transcriptome

“…Thus, bloodomics is increasingly used as a sentinel in disease diagnosis (Kohane and Valtchinov, ; Liew et al ., ). QPCR on blood cells has been used to study the effects on clock gene expression of simulated night‐shift work (James et al ., ), light exposure (Ackermann et al ., ), sleep deprivation (Ackermann et al ., ), after advancing sleep schedules in individuals with habitually delayed sleep/wake cycles (Zhu et al ., ), and in patients with T2D (Ando et al ., ). All of these studies underline the feasibility of using blood to monitor changes in gene expression markers for disease in response to state manipulations.…”

Southeastern United States Parental Perspectives to Promote Adolescent Sleep Health

“…Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) conducted outreach at the state and community levels in an effort to improve the overall health of adolescents as well as adults (as cited in Worcester, 2011). Sleep health standards have been relevant for restoration and healthy lifestyles including improved sports performance, academic achievement, and resultant career success, later in life (Zhu et al, 2013). Parental perceptions have proven to be a significant influence within the adolescent health disciplines, specifically for healthy eating and physical activity at home (Andersen et al, 2014).…”

Nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and the chronobiology of mood: a new insight into the "neurotrophic hypothesis"

“…118,119 Sleep phase advance, morning bright light therapy, and morning "blue" light stimulation have also been reported to affect daily clock gene expression measured in peripheral human blood. 120,121 Regarding pharmacological strategies, there is evidence that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drug fluoxetine modulates the activity of the circadian biological clock, via phase advance in the firing of SCN neurons, further increasing the expression of various clock genes in the mice brain. 122,123 Agomelatine, a novel dual melatonergic and specific serotonergic AD, can also cause phase-advance shifts in both mice and hamster brain when administered at specific times of day.…”