Circadian Clock in Mice controls by Sodium, New Study Reveals.

A new research published this week in the journal Nature shows that injection of salt mice (hypertonic saline) leads to activation of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the circadian master clock for the brain.

Our circadian clock or circadian rhythm adapts the cells and organs of our body at various times of the day to change requirements.

Circadian rhythm disturbance due to jetlag or shift work may cause negative health consequences.

Light the primary factor that regulates our circadian clock is clearly defined, it was unclear whether or how physiological factors could regulate the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

"With our analysis we are the first to show that the physiological signals in the suprachiasmatic heart can actually control clock times," said Professor Charles Bourque, a researcher at the McGill University Health Center's research center.

Professor Bourque and PhD student Claire Gizowski of McGill University were shown to be able to activate the circadian clock at a time of day when it is normally quiet, with salt sensitive neurons located in one particular region of the brain — the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis.

"This means we can speed up the clock, which may be helpful to adapt faster to the time change linked to long-term travel, or if the schedule of our work is shift by several hours," said Gizowski.

The scientists now hope to determine whether or not natural increases in blood sodium – through eating – have the same effect and are occurring in humans.

"One problem is that, while it is good and not dangerous to ingest small quantities of salt, it is poisonous when ingested in large quantities," said Bourque.

"There is far further research required to evaluate whether this result is healthy and realistic for humans."

C. Gizowski & C.W. Bourque. Sodium regulates clock time and output via an excitatory GABAergic pathway. Nature, published online July 8, 2020; doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2471-x

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