Chronobiology International最新文献

As the global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to rise, it is important to identify factors that may support preservation of kidney function with age. Circadian rhythmicity declines with age, and evidence suggests that circadian rhythms influence renal physiology, yet their role in long-term kidney health remains underexplored. We tested the hypothesis that lower circadian rhythmicity would be associated with an elevated risk of kidney function decline. About 1315 older adults participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a prospective community-based cohort study of the chronic conditions of aging, were studied. The median age of participants was 81.5 years [IQR: 71.8-91.2], 76.3% were female, and 93.7% identified as Caucasian. The stability of the circadian activity rhythm was quantified from up to 10 consecutive days of wrist activity using interdaily stability (IS) metric. Lower baseline IS was associated with lower eGFR (estimate = -1.9 ml/min/1.73 m² per 1SD lower IS, SE 0.4, p = 5.0 × 10^-6). Among those without baseline CKD (eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m²), lower IS was associated with a ~ 25% higher future risk of developing CKD (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.43) over a 5-years period, approaching the increased hazard associated with diabetes (HR 1.37). Effects were independent of known CKD risk factors including age, sex, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, as well as multiple measures of sleep quality. Reduced circadian rhythmicity may therefore represent a novel modifiable risk factor for age-related decline in kidney function and CKD.

Modern societal factors frequently impede the attainment of good sleep quality by many healthy adults. We investigated the chronotype-specific predictors of changes in subjective sleep quality following the relaxation of social time pressure during COVID-19 pandemic social restrictions in Japan. One thousand two hundred and fifty-two Japanese participants were surveyed during the initial COVID-19 social restrictions. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess changes under modified social time pressure in sleep quality by chronotype group (early, intermediate, or late) from changes in patterns of daily behaviors. During social restrictions, subjective sleep quality deteriorated with delays in sleep timing across all chronotypes. Early and intermediate chronotypes' reduction in sleep quality was associated with decreased sleep duration, whereas improved subjective sleep quality was associated with increased sleep duration and minimal sleep timing delay in the early and intermediate chronotypes. In late chronotypes, improved sleep quality was also associated with longer outdoor light exposure. These findings indicate that the determinants of changes in subjective sleep quality under modified social time pressure are at least partially chronotype-specific. Maintaining sleep timing may universally enhance subjective sleep quality during perturbations of social schedules. Moreover, in late chronotypes, the exposure to daylight may improve sleep quality, regardless of changes in sleep behaviors. These insights may contribute to the development of effective strategies for promoting better sleep quality in modern societies where insufficient sleep is becoming increasingly widespread.

Recent studies have linked nighttime eating to increased body weight and metabolic risk, but evidence among adolescents remains limited. To assess the association between late-eating patterns and overweight among adolescents. This cross-sectional study used data from 7,377 Brazilian adolescents (10-19 y) from the 2008-2009 Family Budgets Survey to examine associations between late-eating patterns and overweight. Chrononutrition variables - timing of the first and last meal, eating duration, fasting duration, caloric midpoint, and eating midpoint - were estimated from two-day food diaries and categorized into tertiles. Weight status was determined by BMI-for-age z-scores. Multiple regressions models assessed associations between meal timing and overweight. Adolescents in the highest third tertile of eating duration had greater odds of excess weight (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.5, p = 0.04) while those in the middle tertile of night-fasting had lower odds (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9, p = 0.02). Consuming a higher proportion of calories after 20:00 h was also associated with overweight (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.6, p = 0.03). Later timing of the last meal, caloric midpoint and longer eating duration were linked to higher total energy intake (p < 0.005). In conclusion, late eating is associated with excess weight and increased caloric intake among adolescents, underscoring meal timing as a modifiable target for obesity prevention.

The objective of this study was to unveil the interplay between circadian rhythms (CR) and hypertensive nephropathy (HTN) by investigating genes, pathways, and molecular functions and the correlation between CR and HTN's immune landscape through bioinformatic approaches. Key genes associated with CR in HTN were screened through an integrated analysis of GEO data, employing consensus clustering and machine learning approaches (Generalized Linear Models (GLM), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM)). CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE and ssGSEA algorithm were used to assess the infiltration of immune cells between HTN and control groups and in three distinct CR phenotypes of HTN. Functional analyses including GO and KEGG were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The DGIdb website is utilized for predicting potential effective therapeutic drugs targeting CR genes closely linked to HTN. We obtained 45 differentially expressed CR-related genes and these genes are mainly involving signaling pathways such as rhythmic process, circadian rhythm and TGF-beta signaling pathway. Three CR related genes (CCL5, ATF3 and NR4A1) were identified to construct a diagnostic model and have a good performance in diagnosis of HTN and patients with HTN were clustered into three subgroups by consensus clustering according to these genes. Analysis of immune infiltration revealed immune heterogeneity between HTN patients and controls and between the three key CR-related gene clusters of patients with HTN. Furthermore, three CR related genes clusters revealing distinct ESTIMATE Score, Immune Score, Stromal Score heterogeneity with p value < 0.05. Meanwhile, spearman analysis showed CCL5 has a strong correlation different immune cells infiltration, especially NK activated cells (p < 0.001), ATF3 has a correlation with NK resting cells (p = 0.029) and NR4A1 has the most significant correlation with activated T CD4 memory cells infiltration (p = 0.020). The potential therapeutic drug predictions for three CR genes indicate that ATF3 and NR4A1 may harbor potential effective treatment options. Our findings suggest an association between circadian rhythm disruption and altered immune landscape in HTN, highlighting the potential role of CR-related genes in disease heterogeneity. The genes CCL5, ATF3, and NR4A1-which are implicated in circadian regulatory networks - may serve as candidate biomarkers and provide new directions for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in HTN. Further experimental validation is required to confirm their functional roles and clinical significance .

Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, affects 6-10% of the global population and causes significant functional impairments. Chronotype, individual diurnal preferences, influences health outcomes and varies by sex. However, evidence on sex-specific chronotype distribution and its relationship with insomnia in Asian populations remains limited. This study aimed to examine how chronotype is distributed differently between men and women, and to explore its relationship with insomnia symptoms using nationwide population-based data from Korea. We analyzed data from 2,838 participants aged 20-59 years from the baseline assessment phase of the Circannual Change in Headache and Sleep Study. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire was administered to assess chronotype, while insomnia symptoms were estimated using the Insomnia Severity Index. Covariates included sociodemographic factors, depression, employment, smoking and alcohol consumption, body mass index, and average sleep duration. Women reported a higher prevalence of insomnia symptoms than men (14.5% vs. 11.7%, p = 0.027) and were more likely to be evening types (26.4% vs. 20.6%, p < 0.001), whereas men were more likely to be morning types (11.2% vs. 7.0%, p < 0.001). These sex-specific differences in chronotype distribution were consistently observed across individuals in their 30s to 60s. Across chronotype groups, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms was lowest in morning types (4.7%) and highest in evening types (18.4%, p < 0.001). In adjusted analyses, morning type was significantly associated with reduced odds of insomnia (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.22-0.98), whereas evening type was not significantly associated with insomnia risk. Stratified analyses suggested a stronger protective effect of morning type among women, although the chronotype-by-sex interaction term did not reach statistical significance. This nationwide Korean study found that women tended to be evening type, whereas men were more frequently morning type. Morning type was also linked to a lower risk of insomnia symptoms in the overall population, with the association being more pronounced in women. Together, these findings confirm sex-specific differences in chronotype distribution in Korea and demonstrate the independent protective effect of morning type against insomnia.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent among adolescents. Social jetlag has been recognized as a potential risk factor for mental health issues. However, the mechanisms underlying social jetlag and mental health remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the associations of social jetlag with anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents. The mediating effects of sleep quality and self-control on these associations were also examined. A cross-sectional study was conducted. In total, 633 adolescents completed an online survey. Social jetlag, sleep quality, self-control, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Dual-Mode of Self-Control Scale, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, respectively. Multiple linear regression and mediation analyses were performed. The results show that female adolescents experienced higher levels of social jetlag, poorer sleep quality, lower self-control, more severe anxiety and depressive symptoms than male adolescents. Social jetlag was a significant predictor of sleep quality, self-control, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Notably, sleep quality and self-control had a chain-mediating effect on the associations of social jetlag with anxiety and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. These findings provide evidence for the development of targeted interventions to improve the mental health of adolescents. Reducing social jetlag and improving sleep quality and self-control may be relevant for mitigating anxiety and depressive symptoms.

This study investigated predictors of psychomotor vigilance recovery across a six-day inter-tour rest period separating two consecutive duty tours in a sample of career firefighters. Thirty-five firefighters [M age: 38 yrs (SD = 9.2 yrs)] took psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) tests at the beginning of a six-day recovery period and after beginning their next tour; each tour consisted of five, non-consecutive, 24-hour shifts. During the recovery period, subjects wore a wrist-worn actigraph (Actiwatch-2) and completed a sleep diary. Mixed analysis of covariance was employed to test whether change in psychomotor vigilance occurred as a function of time and recovery sleep. Results  indicated that firefighters with longer sleep periods during recovery had relatively stable psychomotor vigilance at both testing time points. In contrast, firefighters with shorter recovery sleep periods had worse psychomotor vigilance at the end of the tour, followed by substantial improvement after the recovery interval. Significant improvements in number of lapses, mean reciprocal reaction time, median reaction time, fastest 10% reaction times, and slowest 10% reaction times were observed across both groups. These findings underscore the restorative impact of off-duty recovery sleep on attentional performance in firefighters.

The relationship between chronotype and physical activity (PA) is of significant interest due to the well-established connection between PA and numerous health issues, including obesity. While previous research has yielded mixed results, most studies suggest that an individual's PA level is influenced by their chronotype, with morning types generally exhibiting higher PA levels. In the current investigation, we conducted a secondary analysis of actigraphy data, focusing exclusively on the wellrested sleep week collected in the parent protocol. Research-grade actigraphy devices were used to record PA, sampling data every 30 s. We report PA levels for all 7 d and across all waking hours. Contrary to previous findings, our results show no significant differences in average PA levels among intermediate, morning, and evening chronotypes. Given the critical role of PA in overall health and its link to obesity, identifying potential chronotype-related risks should inform decision-making processes, health policies, and practices. Our findings highlight the need for further research to better understand the relationship between chronotype and PA, particularly in the context of controlled sleep schedules and in specific age groups.

Ifosfamide (IFO), developed in the 1970 s as a cyclophosphamide analog, is a cytotoxic alkylating agent of the oxazaphosphorine family. Despite its efficacy in sarcomas and germ-cell tumors, its clinical use remains limited by toxicities, particularly encephalopathy, for which no preventive or curative strategy exists. While cyclophosphamide has been extensively investigated in chronotherapy, IFO chronotolerance remains underexplored. This study aimed to determine circadian variation in IFO toxicity in mice. A total of 180 male Swiss Albino mice (8-10 weeks, ≈25 g) were synchronized for 3 weeks to a 12:12 light - dark cycle and housed in two separate rooms with inverted schedules to allow exploration of six circadian dosing times (1, 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21 HALO; Hours After Light Onset). LD₅₀ was determined by regression analysis of mortality rates at increasing doses (400-750 mg/kg). Survival, survival time, body weight, and rectal temperature were assessed following a single intraperitoneal LD₅₀ dose (520 mg/kg). The estimated LD₅₀ was 520 mg/kg (95% CI: 495-545; χ²=14.8, df=1, p < 0.001; R²=0.92). Circadian variation in survival was highly significant (p < 0.0001). The highest tolerance occurred at 13 HALO (72% survival, mean survival 12.2 d, minimal weight loss and hypothermia), whereas the lowest tolerance was observed at 9 HALO (22% survival, mean survival 7.6 d, maximal weight loss and hypothermia). A secondary peak of tolerance was detected at 1 HALO (64% survival). Rectal temperature rhythms confirmed proper circadian entrainment at baseline, but IFO administration induced marked desynchronization at toxic dosing times. IFO toxicity follows a bimodal circadian pattern, with a major tolerance peak at 13 HALO and a secondary peak at 1 HALO. Translational extrapolation suggests that 13 HALO in mice corresponds to early morning (≈06:00h) in humans, indicating that morning administration may represent the safest therapeutic window for IFO.