Voluntary Running and Estrous Cycle Modulate ΔFOSB in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of the Wistar Rat.

ABSTRACT: The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the circadian pacemaker of the mammalian brain, integrates both environmental and endogenous information to modulate various physiological and behavioral processes. Both light and physical activity entrain SCN circadian rhythmicity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms for physical activity remain elusive. Repetitive neuronal stimulation results in accumulation of the stable transcription factor ΔFOSB, that has been implicated in long-term brain plasticity, altered neuronal excitability, and changes in behavior. In rodents, voluntary wheel running (VWR) mimics aspects of exercise training and increases ΔFOSB in several brain regions. Whether VWR also alters ΔFOSB in the SCN is unexplored. Here, young-adult male and female Wistar rats were

SUBMITTER: Shiba A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12101111 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature