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Effects of the Scheduling of Meal-Feeding at Different Phases of the Circadian System in Rats¹

Departments of Anatomy, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Karl-Wiechert-Allee 9, Hannover, West Germany, and University of Arkansas College of Medicine, 4301 West Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, USA

This study was designed to determine whether or not a number of diverse rhythmic variables in the rat could be synchronized to meal timing. This was tested by restricting the availability of food; once during each 24-hour period an unrestricted quantity of food was made available for a 4-hour period to four different groups at different phases of the light-dark cycle, and the rhythms of the variables studied in the different groups were compared. Liver glycogen and serum glucose did synchronize to or were strongly influenced by feeding schedules; corticosterone and the several enzymes measured seemed to reflect an interaction of both the restricted feeding schedule and the light-dark cycle. The mitotic index in the corneal epithelium in all groups remained remarkably synchronized to the light-dark cycle and was altered only minimally by restricted meal timing. All groups on restricted feeding schedules gained less weight than the group fed ad libitum and maintained on a light-dark cycle. These studies caution against assuming that all body functions react in the same manner to different synchronizers; and they emphasize that one must not generalize about the synchronizing effect of meal-timing or even the light-dark cycle.

KEY WORDS: • Circadian rhythms • meal feeding • lighting regimen

¹ Mayersbach, H. v., Muller, O., Philippens, K., Scheving, L. E. & Brock, E. (1973) Effects of restricted feeding schedules on various parameters of blood serum and liver of rats. Int. J. Chronobiol. 1, 342. (Abstr.)

² A 1973 Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung Senior Scientist Awardee.

Manuscript received 10 November 1975.

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