Aging of the circadian system in zebrafish and the effects of melatonin on sleep and cognitive performance.

ABSTRACT: Aging is a complex process involving intracellular changes and, notably, modifications in intercellular communications, required for coordinated responses to internal and external events. One of the potential reasons for such changes is an age-dependent failure of the integrating systems, including the circadian clock. Here we demonstrate that aging in a diurnal vertebrate, zebrafish (Danio rerio), is associated with major but selective circadian alterations. By 3-5 years of age, zebrafish have reduced amplitude and increased fragmentation of entrained circadian rhythms of activity, with fast desynchronization of the rhythms in the absence of environmental time cues. Aging in zebrafish is also associated with a reduction in the overall duration of nighttime sleep, followed by lower activit

SUBMITTER: Zhdanova IV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2323434 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature