Suprachiasmatic Nucleus: Role in Circannual Body Mass and Hibernation Rhythms of Ground Squirrels

Female golden-mantled ground squirrels that sustained complete ablation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCNx) were housed pre- and post-operatively at 23 degrees C and then at 6.5 degrees C for 5-7 yr. SCNx and control animals held at the higher temperature manifested circannual rhythms (CARs) in body mass. In contrast, body mass CARs were not expressed in 50% of SCNx squirrels during cold exposure; rhythm amplitude was reduced to 25-40% of pre-operative values and the interval between successive peaks in body mass fell outside the circannual range. Unlike normal squirrels that hibernate for about 6 months during each circannual cycle, these SCNx squirrels expressed bouts of torpor nearly continuously throughout 2.5 yr of cold exposure. Body mass increases were often observed during hibernation--a phenomenon never observed in control animals. The remaining SCNx squirrels that did not hibernate continuously displayed CARs in body mass within the normal range. The effects of SCN ablation on body mass rhythms presumably are related to disrupted patterns of hibernation, food intake, and metabolism. The SCN, which sustains neural and metabolic activity at low tissue temperatures, may exert greater influence on thermoregulation and metabolism during the hibernation season than at other times of year, thereby accounting for the greater effect of SCN ablation in squirrels maintained at low ambient temperatures.