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Effects of bilateral suprachiasmatic nucleus lesions on the circadian rhythms in a diurnal rodent, the Siberian chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus)

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Summary

Effects of bilateral SCN lesions on the circadian rhythms of wheel-running activity and sleep-waking were examined in a diurnal rodent, the Siberian chipmunk,Eutamias sibiricus. The following results suggest that the SCN is a circadian pacemaker in the Siberian chipmunk:

  1. 1.

    Retinohypothalamic projection was established in the chipmunk using HRP as an anterograde tracer (Fig. 1). The projection was bilateral and greater to the contralateral SCN. Unlike in the rat, axon terminals were distributed through-out the dorsoventral extent of the SCN.

  2. 2.

    Complete bilateral lesions of the SCN resulted in disruption of the circadian rhythmicity in wheel-running activity (Fig. 2 and Table 1) under dim constant light (LL) (n=4) and in blinded chipmunks (n=2). Daily rhythms under light-dark (LD) were also abolished (n=3). The animals with incomplete SCN lesions (n=5) reestablished circadian rhythmicity (Fig. 3). Significant shortening of the freerunning period was observed in two cases. In the other three cases, circadian rhythmicity was unstable and the period of the rhythms was variable.

  3. 3.

    Disruption of the circadian rhythm after total SCN lesions was also reflected in the hourly proportion of SWS, PS, and W (Fig. 5 and Table 2,n=4).

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Abbreviations

SCN :

suprachiasmatic nucleus

W :

waking

SWS :

slow-wave sleep

PS :

paradoxical sleep

HRP :

horseradish peroxidase

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Author notes

  1. Tetsu Sato

    Present address: Life Science Institute, Sophia University, 7 Kioicho, Chiyodaku, 102, Tokyo, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Mitsubishi-Kasei Institute of Life Sciences, 11 Minamiooya, Machida-shi, 194, Tokyo, Japan

    Tetsu Sato & Hiroshi Kawamura

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  1. Tetsu Sato
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  2. Hiroshi Kawamura
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Sato, T., Kawamura, H. Effects of bilateral suprachiasmatic nucleus lesions on the circadian rhythms in a diurnal rodent, the Siberian chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus). J. Comp. Physiol. 155, 745–752 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00611591

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00611591

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