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Dopamine D1 Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Per1, Per2, CLOCK, and BMAL1 Expression in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus in Adult Male Rats

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Abstract

Photic and non-photic inputs are reported to affect clock gene expressions and behavioral activities in the SCN. However, it is not known whether dopaminergic input mediates these regulatory effects on clock genes. The present study examined the molecular effects of dopamine D1 agonist on Per1, Per2, CLOCK, and Bmal1 expressions in the SCN and its effect on behavioral activities to determine the role of dopamine D1 receptor in regulation of these gene expressions and behavioral activities in adult male Wistar rats. To examine the molecular effects of dopamine D1 agonist day and night, we injected 20 mg/kg SKF38393 to the first group of rats at 6 a.m. and the second group at 6 p.m. We also injected saline to the third and fourth groups of rats at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. as control groups. All rats were sacrificed 2 h following the injections. The real-time PCR technique was used to evaluate the clock gene expression. In addition, to examine the effects of dopamine D1 agonists on behavioral activities, we injected 20 mg/kg SKF38393 to SKF receiving group and saline to control group. The behavioral activities of the rats were monitored on the running wheel for 21 days, 1 week following the injections. SKF injections increased the Per2 and CLOCK expressions in the daytime and significantly decreased the Per1 and Bmal1 expressions. However, at night, SKF injections increased only Per2 expressions significantly and decreased the Per1, CLOCK, and Bmal1 genes expressions. Both saline receiving groups showed that all gene expressions were significantly higher except Per2 during nighttime. SKF injection increased the running wheel activity during nighttime significantly. Based on the obtained result, clock gene expression and behavioral activities in adult male Wistar rats may be altered or monitored by administration of exogenous dopamine.

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The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors without undue reservation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Neuroscience Research Center of Iran University of Medical Sciences for the supply of laboratory and technical issues.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Publication No. 80–23, revised 1996) and Hearing Disorders Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, and Tehran, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hearing Disorders Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Somaye Mesgar, Abbas Aliaghaei & Abolfazl Torabi

  2. Biology and Anatomical Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Somaye Mesgar & Abbas Aliaghaei

  3. Neuroscience Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Seyed Behnamedin Jameie

  4. Department of Medical Basic Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Seyed Behnamedin Jameie

  5. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Siavash Parvardeh

  6. Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box, 19615-1178, Tehran, Iran

    Abbas Haghparast

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  1. Somaye Mesgar
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Contributions

Abbas Haghparast was responsible for the study concept and design. Somaye Mesgar contributed to the acquisition of behavioral and molecular data. Abbas Aliaghaei, Somaye Mesgar, and Abolfazl Torabi assisted with data analysis and interpretation of findings. Abbas Haghparast and Somaye Mesgar drafted the manuscript. Abbas Haghparast, Seyed Behnamedin Jameie, Siavash Parvardeh, and Abbas Aliaghaei provided critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors critically reviewed the content and approved the final version for publication.

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Correspondence to Abbas Aliaghaei or Abbas Haghparast.

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All animals’ experiments were done in accordance with the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Publication No. 80–23, revised 1996) and were approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (IR.SBMU.SM.REC. 1394.162), Tehran, Iran.

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Mesgar, S., Jameie, S.B., Aliaghaei, A. et al. Dopamine D1 Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Per1, Per2, CLOCK, and BMAL1 Expression in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus in Adult Male Rats. J Mol Neurosci 72, 618–625 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-021-01923-6

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