Impact of a Single Episode of Different Intensity of White Light Pulse at Night on Masking Response in the Diurnal Mammal, Funambulus pennantii Vivek Verma, Priyoneel Basu, Muniyandi Singaravel Chronobiology in Medicine, 2023 Objective: Light affects mammalian circadian rhythms through entrainment and masking. Photic masking increases locomotor activity in diurnal species (positive masking) while reducing activity in nocturnal species (negative masking). Fewer studies have investigated masking in diurnal rodents. We investigated the masking response in a diurnal rodent, <i>Funambulus pennantii</i> when subjected to white light pulses of different intensities at night between zeitgeber time (ZT) 12 and ZT 15.Methods: Adult male squirrels, <i>F. pennantii</i> (n=10/group, three groups) were placed in individual cages with running wheels under standard 12:12 h light-dark (LD) conditions. Recording of the locomotor activity rhythm was carried out using a ClockLab setup. Following a week of stable entrainment to the LD cycle, the animals of each group were given a sham exposure. After 10 days, animals of group I, II, and III were exposed to 3-h white light pulses of 100 lux, 10 lux, and 1 lux, respectively, between ZT 12 and ZT 15. Following the exposure, the animals were allowed to run undisturbed for 7 days.Results: Compared to the shamexposed group, exposure to 3-h 1 lux, 10 lux, and 100 lux artificial light pulses at night caused positive masking, stimulating wheel running in an intensity-dependent manner. Additionally, nighttime light pulses of 100 lux and 10 lux reduced onset accuracy, reduced the amplitude of the rhythm, and also altered the phase angle relationship to light.Conclusion: The positive masking caused by light exposure at night in diurnal squirrels is intensity-dependent up to at least 100 lux and is associated with a dampening of circadian rhythms.
Withanolide-A Accelerates Re-entrainment of Circadian Locomotor Activity Rhythm and Preserves Spatial Memory in Mice Following Acute Phase Inversion of Light-Dark Cycles Trisha Tiwari, Priyoneel Basu, Muniyandi Singaravel Chronobiology in Medicine, 2022 Objective: Circadian rhythms are present almost in all living organisms and synchronized with the zeitgebers (time givers), especially lightdark (LD) cycles. The jetlag and rotating shift work schedules lead to desynchronization of the circadian clock with zeitgebers which may cause various health problems. Studies have shown that withanolide-A (WA) is a potent nootropic and neuroprotective agent found in Withania somnifera. Thus, the objective was to study the effect of WA on the circadian locomotor activity rhythm following the phase inversion of 12:12 h LD cycle in mice and its impact on the spatial memory in mice.Methods: Adult male mice were housed in the chronocubicle and recorded circadian locomotor activity rhythm by using ClockLab setup. The experimental mice were administered with WA (10 μmol/kg/day) for 13 consecutive days at about ZT15 and then evoked an acute phase inversion of 12:12 h light-dark cycle. Further, the Barnes maze test was performed to check the effect of WA on spatial memory following the phase inversion.Results: The results showed that WA-treated group took significantly fewer transient cycles (4.66+0.66) for re-entrainment than the control (9.5+0.43) and vehicle-treated (8.33+1.28) mice following the phase inversion. Similarly, WA-treated mice traveled less distance to reach the target zone in the Barnes maze compared to vehicle and control groups.Conclusion: These results suggest that the WA may act as chronobiotic and neuroprotective agent since it decreased the transient cycles for re-entrainment and retaining spatial memory following the phase inversion.
Differences in post-chronic jet lag parameters in male and female mice Trisha Tiwari, Priyoneel Basu, Muniyandi Singaravel Biological Rhythm Research, 2021 Chronic jet lag has deleterious effects on many physiological parameters. Most simulations of chronic jet lag consist of repeated advances only, while real-life conditions may differ. We compared number of transients, activity (α) and rest (ρ), and robustness of rhythm by autocorrelation in male and female AKR mice; before, during, and after simulated chronic jet lag (CJL); and phase angle of entrainment and accuracy before and after CJL, using alternate 9-h advances and delays of the light-dark schedule. Females exhibited no scalloping. Compared to pre-CJL values, α was significantly more in females post-CJL, indicating α decompression. The levels of activity increased during and after CJL, particularly in females, indicating behavioural feedback on the circadian rhythm. Robustness of rhythm (autocorrelation coefficient, and amplitude) was significantly suppressed during CJL in both males and females. Females took more transients than males to re-entrain to the final LD shift at the end of CJL. More transients were needed to re-entrain at the end of CJL, compared to a single shift. The study suggests that animals undergoing CJL incorporating alternating advances and delays are able to avoid α compression associated with jet lag, and also that females are detrimentally affected more than males. Abbreviations: SCN: Suprachiasmatic Nuclei; CJL: Chronic Jet Lag; LD: Light-dark
Risperidone resets the circadian clock in mice Rajeev Cherukalady, Dhanananajay Kumar, Priyoneel Basu, Muniyandi Singaravel Biological Rhythm Research, 2017 Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic that is active at multiple dopamine and serotonin receptor subtypes. Based on its high affinity for serotonin receptors, we predicted that it might reset circadian rhythms in a nocturnal rodent. We report temporally differentiated and differential effects of various doses of risperidone on the voluntary locomotor activity rhythm in the Indian field mice, Mus booduga. Risperidone (0.5 mg/kg) elicited phase delays at phases between CT (circadian time) 12 to CT18 and CT0 to CT3, and phase advances at CT6, CT9 and CT21. However, mice injected at CT6 showed maximum advances (1.299 ± 0.286 h), whereas at CT15 showed maximum delays (−1.514 ± 0.312 h). Increasing the dose beyond 0.5 mg/kg at maximally responsive CTs (CT6 and CT15) resulted in progressively smaller but significant shifts. Thus, 0.5 mg/kg is the optimal dose in this species. The fact that risperidone resets the circadian rhythm in a mammal can be extended to clinical studies and used for optimal adjustment of the circadian rhythm in mental disorders. Conversely, risperidone administration for various treatments must be carefully timed to prevent unwanted phase shifts in patients.
The cholinergic forebrain arousal system acts directly on the circadian pacemaker Glenn R. Yamakawa, Priyoneel Basu, Filomeno Cortese, Johanna MacDonnell, Danica Whalley, et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2016 Significance Sleep and wake states are regulated by a variety of mechanisms. One such important system is the circadian clock, which provides temporal structure to sleep and wake. Conversely, changes in behavioral state can influence the phase of the circadian clock. Here we demonstrate that the level of wakefulness is critical for arousal to reset circadian clock phase. We then show that treatments that produce arousal and reset the circadian clock activate the basal forebrain. Finally, we demonstrate that cholinergic input from the basal forebrain is both necessary and sufficient for eliciting this arousal-induced resetting of the circadian clock. These results establish a functional link between the major forebrain arousal center and the circadian system.
Slow and fast orthodromic and antidromic variants in acute 9-h jet-lagged pygmy field mice Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014
Daily variation in melatonin level, antioxidant activity and general immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and lymphoid tissues of Indian goat Capra hircus during summer and winter Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014