Quo vadis basic and clinical chronobiology: Promise for health maintenance

Abstract

Chronobiology is the eminently interdisciplinary science of interactions in time among metabolic, hormonal, and neuronal networks. It involves anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, and pharmacology, at the molecular, intracellular, intercellular, and still higher levels of organization. The compounds coordinating a time structure--proteins, steroids, and amino-acid derivatives--provide for the scheduling of interactions among membrane, cytoplasmic, and nuclear events in a network involving rhythmic enzyme reactions and other intracellular mechanisms. The integrated temporal features of the processes of induction, repression, transcription, and translation of gene expression remain to be mapped in relation to the available framework, consisting of the sequences of phospholipid and RNA labeling, DNA formation, and mitosis, to delineate a circadian cell cycle upon which further hormonal and neural coordination acts (Halberg et al., 1959a,b, 1979a). There is a need for communication over temporal as well as spatial distances among different specialized structures devoted, in individuals, to metabolism, growth, reproduction, and the ability to adjust, and, in species, to the capacity to adapt. For a better understanding at all levels of behavior in its broader sense of organization in time, chronobiology requires familiarity with temporal aspects of metabolism, hormones, and neurons. In other words, broadly trained, full-time "general practitioners" of a chronobiology in its own right are needed.

The Developing Dentition and Tooth Structure in Hominoids

“…It is widely held that circadian rhythms exist in most biological systems [29] and many have been demonstrated experimen tally in dental and oral tissues [30,[31][32][33]. Okada [105] and Mimura [34] confirmed that enamel cross-striations in pig, dog, rab bit and monkey were circadian increments by using injections of NaF and lead acetate administered at known intervals.…”

Circadian periodicity of plasma lipid peroxides and anti-oxidant enzymes in pulmonary tuberculosis

“…Plit et al (1) have reported elevated circulating lipid peroxides and decreased plasma concentration of vitamin E suggesting a high level oxidative stress in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. A circadian rhythm has been well established for most laboratory variables in western population (2)(3)(4)(5)(6) …”

Circadian renal rhythms influenced by implanted encapsulated hANP-producing cells in Goldblatt hypertensive rats

“…For a transfer of studies on rats to the clinic, circadian acrophase charts of human urinary variables analyzed by cosinor are available. 37 …”