Plain water was given to the controls at the same restricted time (R-Water). Clock gene Per2 expression was measured by a bioluminescence reporter in cultured brain tissues. In SCN-intact rats, RG7204 datasheet MAO was induced by R-MAP and behavioral rhythms were phase-delayed from the restricted time under ad-MAP with relative coordination. Circadian Per2 rhythms in R-MAP rats were not affected in the SCN but were slightly phase-advanced in the

olfactory bulb (OB), caudate–putamen (CPU) and substantia nigra (SN) as compared with R-Water rats. Following SCN lesion, R-MAP-induced MAO phase-shifted more slowly and did not show a sign of relative coordination. In these rats, circadian Per2 rhythms were significantly phase-shifted in the OB and SN as compared with SCN-intact rats. These findings indicate that MAO was induced by MAP given at a restricted time of day in association with phase-shifts of the extra-SCN circadian oscillators in the brain dopaminergic areas. The findings also suggest that these extra-SCN oscillators are the components of MAO and receive dual regulation by MAO and the SCN circadian pacemaker. The circadian rhythms of physiology and behavior in mammals are controlled by a hierarchical multi-oscillator system, consisting

of a central circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral oscillators in a variety of tissues and organs (Reppert & Weaver, 2002;

Mohawk et al., 2012). The SCN circadian pacemaker entrains to light–dark cycles (LD) and resets the peripheral oscillators. Intracellular AZD9291 manufacturer Sclareol mechanisms of the central and peripheral circadian oscillators are considered to be an autoregulatory molecular feedback loop involving several clock genes and their protein products. On the other hand, at least two oscillators in the circadian range are reported to be induced independent of the SCN circadian pacemaker (Honma & Honma, 2009). One is the methamphetamine (MAP)-induced oscillator (MAO) and the other is the food-entrainable oscillator (FEO). MAO is induced by chronic MAP treatment via drinking water (Honma et al., 1986a; Tataroglu et al., 2006) and desynchronises some extra-SCN oscillators in the brain as well as behavioral rhythm from the SCN circadian pacemaker (Masubuchi et al., 2000; Natsubori et al., 2013b). The MAP-induced behavioral rhythms are regarded as an animal model of the human sleep–wake cycle because they show characteristics specifically observed in the human sleep–wake cycle such as internal desynchronisation, circabidian (ca. 48 h) rhythms and non-photic entrainment. On the other hand, FEO is induced by restricted daily feeding (RF) and characterised by anticipatory activity prior to daily meals (Stephan et al., 1979).