Circadian activity rhythm in methamphetamine-treated Clock mutant mice

Eur J Neurosci. 2001 Oct;14(7):1177-80. doi: 10.1046/j.0953-816x.2001.01749.x.

Abstract

It is well established that the Clock gene is essential for expressing circadian activity rhythms in mammals under constant darkness. The Clock gene product is a positive component of a molecular feedback loop which is assumed to generate the circadian rhythm. On the other hand, chronic treatment of methamphetamine (MAP) induces locomotor activity rhythm in a circadian domain, which is independent of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and is driven by a pacemaker outside the SCN. However, it is not known whether the pacemaker outside the SCN possesses a similar molecular mechanism to that in the SCN. Here we show that MAP restores locomotor activity rhythm in arrhythmic homozygous Clock mutant (Clock/Clock) mice under constant darkness. This result indicates that the Clock mutation does not affect the MAP-induced locomotor rhythm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Clocks / drug effects*
  • Biological Clocks / genetics
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • CLOCK Proteins
  • Circadian Rhythm / drug effects*
  • Circadian Rhythm / genetics
  • Methamphetamine / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Motor Activity / drug effects*
  • Motor Activity / physiology
  • Mutation / drug effects*
  • Mutation / physiology
  • Trans-Activators / drug effects*
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism

Substances

  • Trans-Activators
  • Methamphetamine
  • CLOCK Proteins
  • Clock protein, mouse