Dissociation between diurnal cycles in locomotor activity, feeding behavior and hepatic PERIOD2 expression in chronic alcohol-fed mice

Chronic alcohol consumption caused a dramatic shift in the daily activity patterns of mice, with a 49:51% day/night activity ratio compared to normal patterns.

• The normal 22:78% day/night activity ratio observed in control mice was altered in alcohol-fed mice.
• Feeding activity in chow-fed mice showed a normal 24:76% ratio, but alcohol and liquid diet groups exhibited a 43:57% ratio with no distinct peak.
• Alcohol-fed mice experienced a ∼4-h shift in feeding rhythms and a ∼6-h shift in locomotor activity rhythms.
• Hepatic expression of the molecular clock protein PER2 was shifted by ∼11 h in alcohol-fed mice, compared to ∼6 h in control liquid-diet mice.
• No differences were found in the central circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, indicating liver clock changes occurred independently.

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