Circadian rhythms of DNA content in brain and kidney: effects of environmental stimulation

Male adult Wistar rats kept under natural lighting show circadian rhythms of DNA content and DNA synthesis in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and kidney. In the cerebral cortex the acrophases of the 2 rhythms almost coincide during the dark period. On the other hand, in kidney, the acrophase of DNA synthesis is phase-advanced by about 14 h with respect to the acrophase of DNA content, which occurs in the dark span, as in the cerebral cortex. Comparable results were obtained in 5 week-old rats raised under artificial lighting conditions (LD 7:19) and exposed for a few days to sensory and social stimulation (an enriched sensory environment). At variance with the latter data, the circadian changes of DNA content and synthesis flattened out and were not statistically significant in the cerebral cortex of 5 week-old rats kept for a few days under conditions of sensory and social deprivation (an impoverished sensory environment). A similar effect occurred in kidney with regard to the rhythm of DNA content, while the circadian rhythm of DNA synthesis remained statistically significant but was phase-delayed by about 6h with respect to the corresponding rhythm occurring in the enriched environment. In sensory impoverished rats, MESOR values of kidney wet weight and DNA specific activity were significantly higher than in sensory enriched rats, while MESOR values of DNA content were significantly lower. The data demonstrate the striking dependence of the circadian variations of DNA content and synthesis on the nature of environmental stimulation.