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Search for rhythmicity during hibernation in the European hamster

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Abstract

Temporal patterns of hibernation were studied by continuous monitoring of body temperature by radiotelemetry over 6 months in European hamsters, Cricetus cricetus, at constant temperature and photoperiod. Entrances into hibernation occurred mostly at the end of the night (0000–0800 hours), while arousals were randomly distributed between day and night. This is at variance with a control of bout duration by a clock with a period of 24 h. Consequently, the timing of entrances implies a phase-resetting of the circadian clock on each arousal. Persistence of circadian rhythmicity with a period different from 24 h during deep hibernation was investigated examining whether the durations of torpor bouts were integer multiples of a constant period. A non-parametric version of the classical contingency test of periodicity was developed for this purpose. Periods ranging from 21 to 29 h were tested. Nine animals out of ten showed at least one significant period in this range (P<0.01), either below 24 h (21.8±0.5 h, n=4) or above (27.3±0.5 h, n=7). However, we have found a theoretical model of bout durations for which the contingency test of periodicity sometimes gives false significant results. This indicates that the power of the test is weak. With this reservation our results suggest that a circadian oscillator controls the duration of a bout of hibernation, which would occur after an integer, but variable and possibly temperature-dependent number of cycles.

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Abbreviations

δb :

a contingency test (see Appendix)

SCN:

suprachiasmatic nuclei

τ:

period

T b :

body temperature

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine and CNRS, URA 1332, Laboratoire de Zoologie, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

    B. Canguilhem

  2. Centre d'Ecologie et Physiologie Energétiques, CNRS, Strasbourg, France

    A. Malan

  3. CNRS, URA 1332-Neurobiologie des Fonctions Rythmiques et Saisonnières, Laboratoire de Zoologie, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

    M. Masson-Pévet, R. Kirsch & P. Pévet

  4. Centre d'Etudes Statistiques, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

    P. Nobelis & J. Le Minor

  5. IRMA, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

    P. Nobelis & J. Le Minor

Authors
  1. B. Canguilhem
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  2. A. Malan
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  3. M. Masson-Pévet
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  4. P. Nobelis
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  5. R. Kirsch
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  6. P. Pévet
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  7. J. Le Minor
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Canguilhem, B., Malan, A., Masson-Pévet, M. et al. Search for rhythmicity during hibernation in the European hamster. J Comp Physiol B 163, 690–698 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369521

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369521

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