• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.600-606
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• 2020

Numerous physiological processes in nature have multiple oscillations within 24 h, that is, ultradian rhythms. Compared to the circadian rhythm, which has a period of approximately one day, these short oscillations range from seconds to hours, and the mechanisms underlying ultradian rhythms remain largely unknown. This review aims to explore and emphasize the implications of ultradian rhythms and their underlying regulations. Reproduction and developmental processes show ultradian rhythms, and these physiological systems can be regulated by short biological rhythms. Specifically, we recently uncovered synchronized calcium oscillations in the organotypic culture of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARN) kisspeptin neurons that regulate reproduction. Synchronized calcium oscillations were dependent on voltage-gated ion channel-mediated action potentials and were repressed by chemogenetic inhibition, suggesting that the network within the ARN and between the kisspeptin population mediates the oscillation. This minireview describes that ultradian rhythms are a general theme that underlies biological features, with special reference to calcium oscillations in the hypothalamic ARN from a developmental perspective. We expect that more attention to these oscillations might provide insight into physiological or developmental mechanisms, since many oscillatory features in nature still remain to be explored.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.985-991
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• 2018

Biological clocks are the basis of temporal control of metabolism and behavior. These clocks are characterized by autonomous free-running oscillation and temperature compensation and are found in animals, plants, and microorganisms. To date, various biological clocks have been reported. These include clocks governing hibernation, sleep/wake, heartbeat, and courtship song. These clocks can be differentiated by the period of rhythms, for example, infradian rhythms (> 24-hr period), circadian rhythms (24-hr period), and ultradian rhythms (< 24-hr period). In yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), at least five different autonomous oscillations have been reported; (1) glycolytic oscillations (T = 1~30 min), (2) cell cycle-dependent oscillations (T = 2~16 hr), (3) ultradian metabolic oscillations (T = 15~50 min), (4) yeast colony oscillations (T = a few hours), and (5) circadian oscillations (T = 24 hr). In this review, we discuss studies on oscillators, pacemakers, and synchronizers, in addition to the application of biological clocks, to demonstrate the nature of autonomous oscillations, especially ultradian metabolic oscillations of S. cerevisiae.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 1997

To assess the reliability of chronobiological models of sleep/wake regulation, it is necerssary that the models predict the data which has been studied in sleep research, and they should be generalized across all ages. To date, many adult human data on such models have accumulated, yet it is evident that a comprehensive theory of the biorhythmic aspects of sleep/wake states has not established. Circadian rhythms such as the time going to bed, sleep onset, slow wave sleep pressure, periodicity of REM sleep, daytime performance, and early evening alertness are resumed everyday. Even in adult humans, sleep is inherently polyphasic. In both the disentrained and entrained states, naps when allowed tend to recur in a temporally lawful manner. The monophasic sleep pattern of most industrial societies therefore appears to be purely of social origin. The endogenous biorhythmic nature of circasemidian sleep tendency is supported by the ubiquity of the phenomenon across all ages. The NREM/REM sleep cycle within sleep with its inherent physiological, endocrine, and neurochemical fluctuations represents the best-documented ultradian sleep rhythms. Also, a daytime ultradian variation in sleepiness with a periodicity similar to nocturnal NREM/REM cycle(BRAC hypothesis) is suggested. This review article provides a brief synoptic review of the evidences for circadian, circasemidian, and ultradian sleep/wake rhythms, and then the authour will suggest the issues which expedite fuller modeling of sleep/wake system, to be further discussed.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.252-254
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• 2002

Djungarian hamsters show distinct seasonal rhythms in several physiological parameters. One of them is daily torpor that occurs in winter with decreased body temperature (about 1O-20$^{\circ}$C) during daytime. Daily torpor is induced by short-day photoperiod, food restriction and castration. But the mechanism to induce daily torpor has not been clarified. In the present study, we tried to clarify the process of daily torpor induction in detail. Adult male hamsters were kept in long photoperiod and high temperature (LP-HT) before the experiment and, thereafter, the animals were transferred to short photoperiod and low temperature (SP-LT), and they were kept in this condition for about six months. The daily rhythms of locomotor activity and body temperature were recorded every three-minutes by using the Minimitter telemetry system. Locomotor activity and body temperature showed very closely synchronized rhythms. All animals under LP-HT showed daily rhythms with higher locomotor activity and body temperature in nighttime than in daytime. Under SP-LT, there were two types of animals with and without showing daily torpor. Thus, they have individual differences in the response to SP -LT.