» Articles » PMID: 37508112

Optimised Stable Lighting Strengthens Circadian Clock Gene Rhythmicity in Equine Hair Follicles

Overview
Journal Animals (Basel)
Date 2023 Jul 29
PMID 37508112
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Hair follicles (HF) represent a useful tissue for monitoring the circadian clock in mammals. Irregular light exposure causes circadian disruption and represents a welfare concern for stabled horses. We aimed to evaluate the impact of two stable lighting regimes on circadian clock gene rhythmicity in HF from racehorses. Two groups of five Thoroughbred racehorses in training at a commercial racehorse yard were exposed to standard incandescent light or a customized LED lighting system. The control group received light from incandescent bulbs used according to standard yard practice. The treatment group received timed, blue-enriched white LED light by day and dim red LED light at night. On weeks 0 and 20, mane hairs were collected at 4 h intervals for 24 h. Samples were stored in RNAlater at -20 °C. RNA was isolated and samples interrogated by quantitative PCR for the core clock genes: , , , , , and the clock-controlled gene . Cosinor analyses revealed 24 h rhythmicity for and and approached significance for ( = 0.013, = 0.013, and = 0.051, respectively) in week 20 in the treatment group only. No rhythmicity was detected in week 0 or in week 20 in the HF of control horses. Results suggest that lighting practices in racehorse stables may be improved to better stimulate optimum functioning of the circadian system.

Citing Articles

Evaluation of short-term hair follicle storage conditions for maintenance of RNA integrity.

Harkin E, Browne J, Murphy B PLoS One. 2024; 19(5):e0294089.

PMID: 38820307 PMC: 11142484. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294089.


One Health: Circadian Medicine Benefits Both Non-human Animals and Humans Alike.

Farag H, Murphy B, Templeman J, Hanlon C, Joshua J, Koch T J Biol Rhythms. 2024; 39(3):237-269.

PMID: 38379166 PMC: 11141112. DOI: 10.1177/07487304241228021.


The Effect of Supplemental Lighting during the Late Gestation Period on Post-Partum Mechanical Properties of Mare and Foal Guard Hair.

Gaspardy A, Gallagher G, Bartha B, Haaland H, Fekete S Vet Sci. 2024; 11(1).

PMID: 38275931 PMC: 10819961. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11010049.

References
1.
Murphy B, OBrien C, Elliott J . Red light at night permits the nocturnal rise of melatonin production in horses. Vet J. 2019; 252:105360. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.105360. View

2.
Higuchi S, Fukuda T, Kozaki T, Takahashi M, Miura N . Effectiveness of a red-visor cap for preventing light-induced melatonin suppression during simulated night work. J Physiol Anthropol. 2011; 30(6):251-8. DOI: 10.2114/jpa2.30.251. View

3.
Richards J, Gumz M . Advances in understanding the peripheral circadian clocks. FASEB J. 2012; 26(9):3602-13. PMC: 3425819. DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-203554. View

4.
McCarthy J, Andrews J, McDearmon E, Campbell K, Barber B, Miller B . Identification of the circadian transcriptome in adult mouse skeletal muscle. Physiol Genomics. 2007; 31(1):86-95. PMC: 6080860. DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00066.2007. View

5.
Lowrey P, Takahashi J . Mammalian circadian biology: elucidating genome-wide levels of temporal organization. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet. 2004; 5:407-41. PMC: 3770722. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genom.5.061903.175925. View