NEURAL BASIS OF BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS

昼夜节律是内源性的生理和行为节律 周期大约为24小时的节奏。难度 不断变化的昼夜节律被认为是 由任何一种引起的人类行为能力减退和不适 跨越多个时区或工作班次。 哺乳动物的昼夜节律系统可以被认为是由 三部分：起搏器、可移相的输入通道和 携带起搏器，以及起搏器通过的输出路径 可以影响大脑的其他部分。多种类型的证据 提示下丘脑视交叉上核的细胞 (SCN)构成主要的起搏器。我所做的实验 求婚是为了回答几个具体的问题。这个 研究将集中在单一的输入路径上 外侧膝状体细胞的视交叉上核 (膝状体-下丘脑束或GHT)和单一输出 视交叉上核至下丘脑的通路 室旁区。 我的研究将回答关于老年人GHT的三个问题 仓鼠。 1)SCN细胞对其中包含的一种肽有什么反应 是终点站吗？ 2)GHT神经元的视觉反应与正常对照组相比有何差异 SCN神经元？ 3)GHT输入如何影响SCN神经元的视觉反应？ 其他实验将解决关于投影的两个问题 将SCN神经元投射到室旁区域。 1)该药的神经药理学特征是什么 投射？ 2)这条输出通路如何在控制 昼夜节律？ 在这里提出的研究中，我也会使用金色仓鼠 在测量轮流活动的损伤行为研究中， 或电生理制剂(体内和体内 体外培养)。金黄仓鼠是一种适合于 研究哺乳动物的昼夜节律，在很大程度上是因为 仓鼠在跑轮时表现出非常精确的行为节律 活动。以前关于正式和非正式的 仓鼠昼夜节律系统的生理学方面 仓鼠昼夜节律系统和昼夜节律系统之间的相似性 其他哺乳动物，包括人类的哺乳动物，有助于使 仓鼠特别有用。

Circadian rhythms are endogenous physiological and behavioral rhythms with a period of approximately 24 hours. Difficulty shifting circadian rhythms has been hypothesized to underlie the impaired performance and discomfort induced in humans by either crossing several time zones or working shift schedules. The mammalian circadian system may be thought of as consisting of three parts; a pacemaker, input pathways which can phase shift and entrain the pacemaker, and output pathways by which the pacemaker can influence the rest of the brain. Many type of evidence indicate that the cells of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) constitute the major pacemaker. The experiments that I am proposing are designed to answer several specific questions. The research will focus on a single input pathway to the suprachiasmatic nuclei from cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (the geniculo-hypothalamic tract or GHT), and a single output pathway from the suprachiasmatic nucleus to the hypothalamic subparaventricular area. My research will answer three questions about the GHT of the hamster. 1) What are the responses of SCN cells to a peptide contained in GHT terminals? 2) How do visual responses of GHT neurons compare with those of SCN neurons? 3) How does GHT input affect visual responses of SCN neurons? Other experiments will address two questions about the projection of SCN neurons to the subparaventricular area. 1) What are the neuropharmacological characteristics of this projection? 2) How does this output pathway function in the control of circadian rhythms? In the studies proposed here, I will use golden hamsters, either in lesion-behavior studies with wheeling-running activity measured, or in electrophysiological preparations (both in vivo and in vitro). The golden hamster is an appropriate animal model for the study of mammalian circadian rhythms, in large part because the hamster exhibits very precise behavioral rhythms in wheel-running activity. A wealth of previous literature on formal and physiological aspects of hamster circadian systems and the many parallels among the hamster circadian system and circadian systems of other mammals, including that of humans, help to make the hamster particularly useful.