Neuroendocrinology
Letters
Volume 33
No. 3
2012
A possible role of perinatal light in mood disorders and internal cancers: Reconciliation of instability and latitude concepts Thomas C . E R R E N Melissa S . K O C H ', ]. Valerie G R O S S Russel ]. R E I T E R - , V. Benno M E Y E R - R O C H O W ^ 1 l i i s l i l i i i e a n d Policlinic for O c c u p a t i o n a l M e d i c i n e , [ i n v i r o n n i e n t a l M e d i c i n e a n d PrcventioTi Research, University o f C o l o g n e , L i n d e n t h a l , G e r m a n y 2 D e p a r t m e n t o f C e l U i l a r a n d S t r u c t u r a l B i o l o g y , U n i v e r s i t y o f Texas H e a l t h S c i e n c e C e n t e r at San A n t o n i o , San A n t o n i o , T X ,
USA
3 S c h o o l o f E n g i n e e r i n g a n d S c i e n c e ; Jacobs U n i v e r s i t y [ B r e m e n , Correspondence
Germany
I ' r o f T h o m a s C. Erren, M D . , M P H .
In:
D i r e c t o r o f the Institute and Policlinic for O c c u p a t i o n a l M e d i c i n e , E n v i r o n m e n t a l M e d i c i n e a n d P r e v e n t i o n Research, U n i v e r s i t y o f C o l o g n e . L i n d e n t h a l , G e r m a n y . T i n . : + 4 9 - 2 2 1 - 4 7 S ' 1 4 3 0 ; H A X : + 4 9 - 2 2 1-47851 19; I > M A I L : Suhniitlcd:
2012-04-17
Key words:
Accepted:
2012-04-2^1
P-iihlishcd
online:
[email protected]
2012-05-27
light; perinatal; c i r c a d i a n clocks; c i r c a d i a n systems; m o o d dis(trder; cancer; latitude; m e l a t o n i n ; c h i l d h o o d disease; adult disease
Neuroendocrino! Lett 2012;33(3):314-317
Abstract
PMID: 22635091
NEL330312LO2
©2012 Neuroendocrinology Letters • www.nel.edu
T h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g e x p e r i m e n t a l e v i d e n c e suggests that p e r i n a t a l light e x p o s u r e may i m p r i n t circadian clocks w i t h lasting eflecis o n the alignment and the stability o f c i r c a d i a n r h y t h m s later in life. A s s u m i n g that e x p o s u r e to light early i n life c o u l d d e t e r m i n e t h e s t a b i l i t y o f an i n d i v i d i i a l ' s c i r c a d i a n s y s t e m l a t e r i n l i f e , t h e p r e s e n t h y p o t h e s i s p r o p o s e s t h a i t i m e o f y e a r a n d l o c a t i o n o f b i r t h (i.e.. s e a s o n a n d l a t i t u d e ) a n d t h u s d i f f e r e n t i a l Zcilgclier
s t r e n g t h s m a y be k e y c o n t r i b u t o r s
to a person's s u s c e p t i b i l i t y o f d e v e l o p i n g m o o d d i s o r d e r s like seasonal a f f e c t i v e d i s o r d e r ( S A D ) a n d c o m m o n i n t e r n a l c a n c e r s s u c h as t h o s e o f breast a n d p r o s t a t e . C o n s e q u e n t l y , w h e n a n d w h e r e p e o p l e are b o r n m i g h t c r i t i c a l l y p r e d i s p o s e t h e m to b o t h m o o d d i s o r d e r s and i n t e r n a l cancers, a n d m a y affect the onset a n d c o u r s e o f such illnesses. T h i s p a p e r d e v e l o p s a causal f r a m e w o r k a n d presents suggest i o n s f o r r i g o r o u s tests o f t h e a s s o c i a t e d c o r o l l a r y a n d p r e d i c t i o n s . It d o e s n o t escape o u r a t t e n t i o n t h a t l i n k s b e t w e e n t h e p e r i n a t a l Zcil^cbcr
strength
o f l i g h t a n d its e f f e c t s o n t h e s t a b i l i t ) ' o f c i r c a d i a n s v s t e m s l a t e r i n l i f e c o u l d h a v e a role to play in affecting long-term health b e y o n d cancer and m o o d disorders m o s t l y i n a d u l t s b u t also i n c h i l d r e n .
i n s o f a r as s t a b l e o r u n s t a b l e c i r c a d i a n s y s t e m s w i l l
INTRODUCTION
become established.
A r e c e n t r e p o r t i n Nature
When
m i c e were
developed
(Ciarleg-
and raised i m t i l w e a n i n g (day 2 I after b i r t h ) u n d e r
l i o ct nl. 2 0 1 1 ) can p r o v i d e t h e basis f o r a c o m p r e -
w i n t e r - l i g h t c o n d i t i o n s , i.e., L : D S: 16 o r s h o r t d a y s ,
hensive
new
hypothesis
Nctiroscicncc
on
m o o d d i s o r d e r s ( E r r e n cl ai
the de\'elopment
of
they developed imstable circadian systems w h i c h
201 l a ) a n d i n t e r n a l
c o u l d be d i s t u r b e d b\ l i g h t e x p o s u r e at i m u s u a l
c a n c e r s ( E r r e n cl al. 201 l b ) . C i a r l e g l i o cl ni. d e d u c e
times
from
consequences were behavioral peculiarities.
their
experiments
e x p o s u r e to light can
in
mice
that
perinatal
h a v e a n i m p r i n t i n g effect
later
authors
i n t h e i r lives. A m o n g the
concluded
that
their
obscr\'ed
findings
The
might
To cite this article: Neuroendocrino! Lett 2012;33(3):3i4-317
Companion point to a l i n k b e t w e e n p e r i n a t a l i m p r i n t i n g o f c i r c a -
contribute
dian clocks and neurobehavioral disorders in h u m a n s .
times decades.
I m p o r t a n t l y , this is not the first report o f the k i n d
CommentarytforNEL
to these d i s e a s e s o v e r m a n y years, T h i s directed
research
to
logical s t u d i e s that a i m e d at c o m p a r i n g
some-
epidemiopopulations
( O h t a ct nl. 2 0 0 6 ) . In 2 0 0 6 , O h t a cl al. a s k e d w h a t light
e x p o s e d to m o r e o r less a m o u n t s o f light o v e r e x t e n d e d
e x p o s u r e might d o to neonates in i n t e n s i v e care u n i t s .
[)eriods. T u r n i n g to s t u d i e s w h i c h e m p l o y e d " l a t i t u d e "
T h e y a d d r e s s e d this q u e s t i o n by e x p o s i n g m i c e
m e a n t m a k i n g use o f " n a t u r a l e x p e r i m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n s " ,
post-
natally. i.e., after b i r t h for four w e e k s , to constant light
in w h i c h " l i g h t d o s i m e t r y by g e o g r a p h y " { E r r e n cl
(L:D
2001)
2 4 : 0 ) . A f t e r p o s t n a t a l e x p o s u r e to these e x t r e m e
approaches
employed variable ambient
al.
photo-
l i g h t i n g c o n d i t i o n s , the r o d e n t s e x h i b i t e d s i g n s o f d i s -
p e r i o d s d u e to l a t i t u d e - a s s o c i a t e d angles at w h i c h s u n -
rupted internal temporal order a n d developed unstable
light e x p o s e s l o c a t i o n s o n E a r t h d i f f e r e n t i a l l y ( E r r e n
circadian organization experiment
later i n life. S i n c e this earlier
c o m p r i s e d longer o b s e r v a t i o n
periods
2 0 0 2 ) . L a t i t u d e w a s thus a m e a n s to differentiate doses
of
o f n a t u r a l light e x p o s u r e s , blow u n e q u a l d o s e s o f e n v i -
o v e r s e v e r a l m o n t h s , the l a s t i n g effects o f the p o s t n a t a l
r o n m e n t a l light m a y a c t u a l l y c o n t r i b u t e to a d e r a n g e d
light i n t e r v e n t i o n m a y be i n t e r p r e t e d as a d e m o n s t r a -
circadian organization
tion o f i m p r i n t i n g .
r e p o r t e d by C i a r l e g l i o a n d c o l l e a g u e s ( 2 0 1 1 ) ; P e r i n a -
C i r c i m i s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e that postnatal s u r e m i g h t c o n t r i b u t e to a d e v e l o p m e n t a l of circadian clocks and systems comes
light
expo-
results
tal w i n t e r o r s u m m e r p h o t o p e r i o d s a p p e a r to i m p r i n t
imprinting
from
is n o w e v i n c e d by the
stable
further
or
unstable
responses
of Tnammals' circadian
s y s t e m s to c h a n g e s in l i g h t / d a r k t r a n s i t i o n s later in life.
experimental observations: intrinsically photosensitive
O v e r a l l , therefore,
instability a n d latitude
concepts
retinal g a n g l i o n cells ( i p R G C s ) r e s p o n d to light f r o m
m a y n o w be r e c o n c i l e d by t h e i r c o n n n o n
denominator,
birth o n w a r d ( H a n n i b a l & F a h r e n k r u g 2004; Sekaran
" l i g h t " w h i c h e a r l y i n life m a y i m p r i n t the v e r y stability
cl (li 2 0 0 5 ) a n d these i p R G C s a p p e a r to m a k e an until
o f c i r c a d i a n s y s t e m s a n d m a y later in life constitute a
2 0 1 1 u n r e c o g n i z e d c o n t r i b u t i o n to the d e v e l o p m e n t
of
disturbance variable lo circadian and seasonal rbyth-
the c e n t r a l v i s u a l s y s t e m ( R e n n a cl al. 2 0 i I ) , p r e s n n i -
m i c i t y w h e n e x p e r i e n c e d at b i o l o g i c a l l y u n u s u a l t i m e s .
ably i n c l u d i n g interfaces w i t h c i r c a d i a n c i r c u i t r y .
HYPOTHESIS, COROLLARY, PREDICTIONS & TESTS
WHY INSTABILITY AND W H Y L A T I T U D E CONCEPTS?
H
H u m a n s born and raised postnalally under winter light c o n d i t i o n s w i t h l o w Zcilgcber
BACKGROUND AND RECONCILIATION The
strength where
the a m p l i t u d e o f the L : D - c y c l e e n t r a i n i n g c i r c a -
i m p o r t a n c e o f the c y c l i c n a t u r e o f c i r c a d i a n a n d
d i a n c l o c k s is s m a l l , i.e., c l o s e to 0.5, are m o r e likely
b i o l o g i c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n , a n d their stability, w a s e m p h a -
to d e v e l o p u n s t a b l e c i r c a d i a n c l o c k s a n d s y s t e m s
s i z e d by C o l i n P i t t e n d r i g h o v e r h a l f a c e n t u r y ago ( P i t -
later in life t h a n h u m a n s e x p o s e d
t e n d r i g h 1960):
tively h i g h e r p e r i n a t a l L : D ratios, i.e., c l o s e to 2. C
features
an extent
of its nrganizniinn;
that ij deranged
and
they impair
to be b o r n d u r i n g p e r i o d s o f e x t r e m e l i g h t / d a r k ratios s u c h as orn. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 26: 657-661. Erren TC (2002). Does light cause internal cancers? The problem and challenge of an ubiquitous exposure. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 23Suppl2:61-70. Erren TC (2005). Could visible light contribute to the development of leukaemia and other cancers in children? Med Hypotheses. 64:864-871. Erren TC, Piekarski C (1999). Does winter darkness in the Artie protect against cancer? The melatonin hypothesis revisited. Med Hypotheses 53: 1-5. Erren TC, Reiter RJ (2008). A generalized theory of carcinogenesis due to chronodisruption. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 29: 815-821. Erren TC, Reiter RJ (2008). Defining chronodisruption. J Pineal Res. 46: 245-247.
Neuroendocrinology
Letters Vol.33 No. 3 2012 • Article available online:
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