A study of two groups of mice with circadian rhythm disturbances, some at the genetic level and others due to external influences, indicates the impact of sleep and wake disturbances on susceptibility to various diseases, in this case liver disease.

30% of people who abuse alcohol have liver problems, but until now, scientists could not explain the reasons for such selectivity.

A new study by teams from Northwestern University and Rush Medical Center provides a possible explanation: disruption of sleep and circadian rhythms may be a critical factor in the development of this problem..

Doctors conducted a study on mice that underwent an experience similar to the conditions that humans experience when changing time zones and working in different shifts.. Their internal clock is out of rhythm with the natural cycle of day and night.. Another group of mice underwent a circadian rhythm shift via a faulty gene. Both groups were on two diets, non-alcoholic and similar to alcohol, then the resulting physiological effects were investigated..

Researchers have identified a combination of circadian rhythm and alcohol that has a double whammy leading to liver disease. The results were published in the June magazine PLOS ONE.

" Turek, Professor of Biology at Weinberg College and one of the authors of the paper.

“We and other research groups are bringing drug treatment and the right time for it closer together.. We call it circadian medicine, and it could have the same impact on the future of medicine as Einstein's theory of relativity had on physics."

Years ago, Ali Keshavarzian, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Rush University who studied patients with gastrointestinal disease, identified a disruption in circadian rhythms as one of the likely causes of liver disease.. He noticed that some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (inflammation in the intestines and/or colon) showed an increase in symptoms when working at night, but controlled the disease during the day.. Keshavarzhan also took part in the described study.

Doctors First Studied Effects of Circadian Rhythm Disruption on Animals with Colitis. Sleep disruption has been seen to cause more severe colitis attacks in mice.. Keshavarzhan has studied the effects of " Colitis in mice is associated with just such leaks, so he suggested that a disruption in the circadian rhythm makes the intestines more vulnerable to them..

It was decided to test this on animals with liver disease.. “Non-pathogenic chronic inflammation is the main cause of many chronic diseases typical of Western society and developing countries with similar lifestyles,” says Keshavarzhan.. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disease, and cardiovascular disease are just a few examples..

“Multiple studies have shown that intestinal bacteria are the main trigger for inflammation, and the main cause is stomach leakage.. The factors leading to them are still unknown.. We believe that disruptions in circadian rhythm and sleep, which are common in industrial societies, may contribute to them. ”.

The researchers used two independent approaches in their work, studying mouse models, both from a genetic point of view and under the influence of the environment.. In one group of mice, circadian rhythm failure was programmed at the genetic level, due to a mutation in the CLOCK gene that regulates the circadian rhythm.. The second group underwent a change in the cycle of light and dark, similar to the effect of jet lag..

Already before the start of the alcohol diet, both groups of mice showed increased levels of gastric leaks.. Further, both groups were exposed to alcohol. After one week, animals in both groups showed an increase in leakage comparable to groups of mice without an alcohol diet..

By the end of the third month, both groups were in the early stages of developing liver disease..

“We have shown that circadian disturbances lead to an increase in gastric leaks, which contribute to severe pathological changes in the liver.. Since these disorders are not genetic in humans, they may affect its regulation.. For a more effective treatment of diseases, it is necessary to take into account the time factor, examining the state and activity of the body and its various parts at different times of the day..

medbe. en.