Abstract
Almost all metabolic activities of nutrients are under control of the endocrine system, and among them the adrenocortical activity is the most typical example that shows circadian rhythmic changes. We examined relationships between the plasma corticosterone rhythm and feeding schedules in rats. The plasma corticosterone rhythm corresponding to feeding time appears regardless of whether the rats were kept on a light-dark cycle, or in constant light or were blinded. Therefore, it can be concluded that food, more than illumination, is a potent trigger of the circadian adrenocortical rhythm in rats. In addition to the experiments in rats, we also investigated roles of feeding schedulesinformation of the adrenocortical rhythm in human subjects. The corticosterone rhythm disappeared when rats were given a liquid diet intravenously, but not orally, suggesting a necessary role of the oro-gastro-intestinal tract. In addition to the studies in rats, influence to feeding schedules on adrenocortical rhythms was also examined in hospitalized human subjects under a normal light-dark cycle. A clear plasma cortisol rhythm was observed in patients who had been fed on a liquid diet into-duodenum during a restricted time of day, suggest that the circadian cortisol rhythm in man is more closely related to feeding rhythms than cycles of light-dark and sleep-wakefulness. As far as we know, this is the first report demonstrating the important of food in entraining human circadian cortisol rhythm. Next, we measured daily rhythm ofbody temperature in hospitalized patients under continuous and cyclic TEN（totalenteral nutrition）. In the diurnal TEN group, body temperature was low at night and early morning and high in the afternoon early evening. In the continuous TEN group, however, body temperature did not show any significant change with clock-time. In conclusion, the timing of diet intake remarkably modifies the circadian rhythm of body temperature and adrenocortical activity in man. We examined relationship between the feeding time of high salt diet intake and urinary excretion of sodium and chloride. The urinary excretion of sodium and chloride were higher in evening than morning and daytime in woman, is more closely related to the circadian plasma aldosterone rhythm. Furthermore, the clock time difference in endocrine and metabolic responses after physical exercise was assessed according to biorhythm. Physical capacity changed to the time of evaluation, and was greater in the evening than in the morning. Among physiological functions that determine was development of physical strength, plasma growth hormone was higher evening exercise than morning exercise. Further studies are needed on this intriguing idea.
