Circadian Disruption: comparing humans with mice

Abstract

Disruption of the 24-h light-dark cycle has been implicated as an endocrine disruptor and linked to increased morbidity and mortality in animal studies. Previously reported measurements of circadian disruption in day-shift and rotating-shift nurses were compared with new mouse data where the light-dark patterns simulated shiftwork. Phasor magnitudes, a measure of circadian entrainment, were shown to be similar for humans and for mice when exposed to similar patterns of light and dark. Phasor analyses may be a useful method for quantitatively bridging ecological measurements of circadian disruption in human with parametric studies of health outcomes in a mouse model.

• Animal models
• circadian disruption
• ecological measurements
• shiftwork

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Dennis Guyon of the Lighting Research Center for his graphical support and to Brittany Wood, Jean Paul Freyssinier, and Martin Overington for their technical assistance with this experiment.