Body Clock Linked to Weight Gain

Many of the biological processes of the human body operate on a clock-like mechanism, known as a circadian rhythm, with an endogenous duration of approximately 24 hours.  Previous research has identified a gene responsible for our internal body clocks, called Rev-Erb alpha.  Etienne Challet, from the University of Strasbourg (France), and colleagues studied two groups of mice. One group was normal and the other group lacked the Rev-Erb alpha gene. In the mice lacking the Rev-Erb alpha gene, it was determined that they became obese and hyperglycemic even if they ate the same quantity of food at the same time as normal mice. Further scientific investigation showed that when the Rev-Erb alpha-deficient mice were compared to the normal mice, there was a major difference in the way Rev-Erb alpha-deficient mice metabolized the food they ate. The Rev-Erb alpha deficient mice created much more fat than the normal mice, and this occurred specifically during the feeding period. Additionally, the Rev-Erb-alpha deficient mice relied less on carbohydrate stores when at rest.