A recent Nature Metabolism review highlights how light exposure or deprivation affects metabolic activities like thermogenesis and glucose homeostasis through non-circadian pathways.
By Dr. Chinta SidharthanJun 4 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent perspective piece published in the journal Nature Metabolism , Chinese researchers discussed evidence from recent studies on the non-rhythmic impact of light deprivation or exposure on metabolic activities such as thermogenesis or glucose homeostasis in a manner that is not dependent on the circadian clock.
Mammalian systems largely depend on the eye, which contains rod and cone opsins, to perceive light. However, observations of light detection in animals that do not have functional rod and cone opsins led to the detection of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells . Through non-visual melanopsin, an evolutionarily conserved and primordial light sensor, ipRGCs modulate processes such as mood regulation and pupillary reflexes.
Although the mediation of photoentrainment by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus is not entirely understood, existing research indicates that the two potential pathways through which the hypothalamus conveys circadian information to the peripheral tissues are through the secretion of hormones such as melatonin and the autonomic nervous system.
Related StoriesViral tracing studies in rodents have also shown that ipRGCs innervate other regions of the brain, such as the supraoptic nucleus and the preoptic area of the hypothalamus, which mediate brain development and non-rapid eye movement sleep, respectively, through neuroendocrine processes independent of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus.
Research Adipose Brain Eye Food Glucose Hypothalamus Melatonin Sleep
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