AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 253, Issue 1 204-R207, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Adaptation of circadian rhythmicity to shift in light-dark cycle accelerated by a benzodiazepine
O. van Reeth and F. W. Turek
The light-dark cycle is the major synchronizing agent for circadian rhythms
in animals. After an abrupt shift in the light-dark cycle, it usually takes
many days for circadian rhythms to resynchronize. A single injection of the
short-acting benzodiazepine, triazolam, to hamsters subjected to an 8-h
advance of the light-dark cycle resulted in an approximately 50% reduction
in the time taken for the circadian locomotor activity rhythm to be
resynchronized to the new lighting schedule. These results suggest that it
may be possible to use drugs to facilitate the resynchronization of human
circadian rhythms following an abrupt change in environmental time.
