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The Neuropharmacology of Circadian Timekeeping in Mammals

  • Conference paper
Vertebrate Circadian Systems

Part of the book series: Proceedings in Life Sciences ((LIFE SCIENCES))

Abstract

Richter’s observation, that the homeostasis of circadian oscillations is reflected in their resistance to most chemical manipulations of the internal milieu, may be less generally valid today. For many years the only substance known to have a reproducible effect on circadian rhythms in mammals was deuterium oxide. Heavy water has been found to lengthen the freerunning period as an increasing function of its concentration in the body (Daan and Pittendrigh 1976). Under light-dark (LD) cycles of different periods, heavy water has also been observed to alter the range of entrainment (Hayes and Palmer 1976). Unfortunately, the mechanism by which deuterium oxide alters rhythm characteristics in mammals is completely unknown.

“How can this clock be speeded up; slowed down; reset; or stopped? Blinded rats were subjected to almost every conceivable kind of metabolic, endocrinologic and neurologic interference ... to no effect.” C.P. Richter (1965)

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Author notes

  1. A. Wirz-Justice (Fellow of the Swiss Foundation)

    Present address: Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik, Wilhelm Klein Straße 27, 4025, Basel, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Research, Switzerland

    A. Wirz-Justice (Fellow of the Swiss Foundation)

  2. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20205, USA

    G. A. Groos

  3. Department of Physiology and Physiological Physics, University of Leiden, The Netherlands

    T. A. Wehr

Authors
  1. A. Wirz-Justice
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  2. G. A. Groos
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  3. T. A. Wehr
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-8138, Andechs, Germany

    Jürgen Aschoff

  2. Zoologisch Laboratorium, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Kerklaan 30, NL-Haren, The Netherlands

    Serge Daan

  3. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20205, USA

    Gerard A. Groos

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© 1982 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

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Wirz-Justice, A., Groos, G.A., Wehr, T.A. (1982). The Neuropharmacology of Circadian Timekeeping in Mammals. In: Aschoff, J., Daan, S., Groos, G.A. (eds) Vertebrate Circadian Systems. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68651-1_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68651-1_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-68653-5

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