Comparison of the Omron HeartGuide to the Welch Allyn ProBP 3400 blood pressure monitor

Hypertension affects approximately 100 million U.S. adults and is the leading single contributing risk factor to all-cause mortality. Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is essential in the treatment of BP, and a number of devices exist for monitoring. Recently, a new watch-type design was released, the Omron HeartGuide (BP8000), with claims to provide clinically accurate BP measurement while also tracking activity and sleep similar to smart watches. The aim of this research was done in two studies: (1) evaluation of the HeartGuide device for measurement of resting BP and heart rate (HR); and (2) assessment of the HeartGuide for BP, HR, step-counting and sleep monitoring during activities of daily living. Study 1 compared the Omron HeartGuide to the previously validated Welch Allyn ProBP 3400 following a modified version of the Universal Standard for validation of BP measuring devices set by the AAMI/ESH/ISO. While resting HR measured by the HeartGuide was similar to Welch Allyn measures, both systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower ( P ≤0.001), with differences of 10.4 (11.1) and 3.2 (10.0) mmHg, respectively. Study 2 compared HeartGuide measures to Welch Allyn measures for BP, HR, steps and sleep during various body positions (supine, seated, standing), physiological stressors (cold pressor test, lower body submersion, exercise), and free-living. The HeartGuide significantly underestimated BP though provided accurate HR during most conditions. It also significantly underestimated steps, but reported sleep measures similar to those subjectively reported. Based on the significant differences between the HeartGuide and Welch Allyn, our data indicate the HeartGuide is not a suitable replacement for existing BP monitors.

Effect of Chronotype on Sleep Quality in a Laboratory Setting

Sleep is undoubtedly important for human health as insufficient sleep has been associated with a plethora of diseases. Adequate sleep assessment is critical in clinical and research settings, however current sleep assessment protocols fail to account for circadian rhythms, despite the fact that sleep is a well-recognized circadian process.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine if circadian parameters, such as chronotype, influence sleep quality in a sleep laboratory setting.

METHODS

In order to investigate this, twenty participants (10 men and 10 women) aged 18-31 years old had their sleep recorded by electroencephalography in a sleep lab. Participants also complete surveys which provided data on chronotype, social jet lag and subjective sleep quality. Participants were allowed to self-select sleep time for the study, and sleep discrepancy, defined as the difference between reported and experienced mid-sleep, was determined.

RESULTS

Interestingly, results indicated a significant correlation between self-reported sleep quality and social jet lag, with those who typically experience more social jet lag being more satisfied with their sleep during the study (r = 0.549, p = 0.012). In addition, when participants were separated into groups based on chronotype, sleep discrepancy and social jet lag, sizeable differences were noted for parameters such as sleep onset latency, number of awakenings, and percent of time spent in REM sleep.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest circadian parameters serve as predictors of both subjective and objective sleep quality, and thus illuminates a necessity for these parameters to be taken into account in the assessment and research of sleep.

Reinventing the wheel: comparison of two wheel cage styles for assessing mouse voluntary running activity

Voluntary wheel cage assessment of mouse activity is commonly employed in exercise and behavioral research. Currently, no standardization for wheel cages exists resulting in an inability to compare results among data from different laboratories. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the distance run or average speed data differ depending on the use of two commonly used commercially available wheel cage systems. Two different wheel cages with structurally similar but functionally different wheels (electromechanical switch vs. magnetic switch) were compared side-by-side to measure wheel running data differences. Other variables, including enrichment and cage location, were also tested to assess potential impacts on the running wheel data. We found that cages with the electromechanical switch had greater inherent wheel resistance and consistently led to greater running distance per day and higher average running speed. Mice rapidly, within 1-2 days, adapted their running behavior to the type of experimental switch used, suggesting these running differences are more behavioral than due to intrinsic musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or metabolic limits. The presence of enrichment or location of the cage had no detectable impact on voluntary wheel running. These results demonstrate that mice run differing amounts depending on the type of cage and switch mechanism used and thus investigators need to report wheel cage type/wheel resistance and use caution when interpreting distance/speed run across studies. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The results of this study highlight that mice will run different distances per day and average speed based on the inherent resistance present in the switch mechanism used to record data. Rapid changes in running behavior for the same mouse in the different cages demonstrate that a strong behavioral factor contributes to classic exercise outcomes in mice. Caution needs to be taken when interpreting mouse voluntary wheel running activity to include potential behavioral input and physiological parameters.

Temperature as a Circadian Marker in Older Human Subjects: Relationship to Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes

Background:

Circadian rhythms are characterized by approximate 24-hour oscillations in physiological and behavioral processes. Disruptions in these endogenous rhythms, most commonly associated with shift work and/or lifestyle, are recognized to be detrimental to health. Several studies have demonstrated a high correlation between disrupted circadian rhythms and metabolic disease. The aim of this study was to determine which metabolic parameters correlate with physiological measures of circadian temperature amplitude (TempAmp) and stability (TempStab).

Methods:

Wrist skin temperature was measured in 34 subjects (ages 50 to 70, including lean, obese, and diabetic subjects) every 10 minutes for 7 consecutive days. Anthropometric measures and fasting blood draws were conducted to obtain data on metabolic parameters: body mass index, hemoglobin A1C, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein. A history of hypertension and current blood pressure was noted.

Results:

Analysis of the data indicated a substantial reduction in TempAmp and TempStab in subjects with metabolic syndrome (three or more risk factors). To determine the impact of individual interdependent metabolic factors on temperature rhythms, stepwise multilinear regression analysis was conducted using metabolic syndrome measurements. Interestingly, only triglyceride level was consistently correlated by the analysis. Triglyceride level was shown to contribute to 33% of the variability in TempAmp and 23% of the variability in TempStab.

Conclusion:

Our results demonstrate that elevated triglycerides are associated with diminished TempAmp and TempStab in human subjects, and triglycerides may serve as a primary metabolic predictor of circadian parameters.

Mast Cells Promote Seasonal White Adipose Beiging in Humans

Human subcutaneous (SC) white adipose tissue (WAT) increases the expression of beige adipocyte genes in the winter. Studies in rodents suggest that a number of immune mediators are important in the beiging response. We studied the seasonal beiging response in SC WAT from lean humans. We measured the gene expression of various immune cell markers and performed multivariate analysis of the gene expression data to identify genes that predict UCP1. Interleukin (IL)-4 and, unexpectedly, the mast cell marker CPA3 predicted UCP1 gene expression. Therefore, we investigated the effects of mast cells on UCP1 induction by adipocytes. TIB64 mast cells responded to cold by releasing histamine and IL-4, and this medium stimulated UCP1 expression and lipolysis by 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Pharmacological block of mast cell degranulation potently inhibited histamine release by mast cells and inhibited adipocyte UCP1 mRNA induction by conditioned medium (CM). Consistently, the histamine receptor antagonist chlorpheniramine potently inhibited adipocyte UCP1 mRNA induction by mast cell CM. Together, these data show that mast cells sense colder temperatures, release factors that promote UCP1 expression, and are an important immune cell type in the beiging response of WAT.

Muscle-specific loss of Bmal1 leads to disrupted tissue glucose metabolism and systemic glucose homeostasis

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the USA, and disruption of circadian rhythms is gaining recognition as a contributing factor to disease prevalence. This disease is characterized by hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance and symptoms caused by failure to produce and/or respond to insulin. The skeletal muscle is a key insulin-sensitive metabolic tissue, taking up ~80 % of postprandial glucose. To address the role of the skeletal muscle molecular clock to insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, we generated an inducible skeletal muscle-specific Bmal1 (-/-) mouse (iMSBmal1 (-/-)).

RESULTS

Progressive changes in body composition (decreases in percent fat) were seen in the iMSBmal1 (-/-) mice from 3 to 12 weeks post-treatment as well as glucose intolerance and non-fasting hyperglycemia. Ex vivo analysis of glucose uptake revealed that the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles did not respond to either insulin or 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) stimulation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses demonstrated a significant decrease in mRNA expression and protein content of the muscle glucose transporter (Glut4). We also found that both mRNA expression and activity of two key rate-limiting enzymes of glycolysis, hexokinase 2 (Hk2) and phosphofructokinase 1 (Pfk1), were significantly reduced in the iMSBmal1 (-/-) muscle. Lastly, results from metabolomics analyses provided evidence of decreased glycolytic flux and uncovered decreases in some tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediates with increases in amino acid levels in the iMSBmal1 (-/-) muscle. These findings suggest that the muscle is relying predominantly on fat as a fuel with increased protein breakdown to support the TCA cycle.

CONCLUSIONS

These data support a fundamental role for Bmal1, the endogenous circadian clock, in glucose metabolism in the skeletal muscle. Our findings have implicated altered molecular clock dictating significant changes in altered substrate metabolism in the absence of feeding or activity changes. The changes in body composition in our model also highlight the important role that changes in skeletal muscle carbohydrate, and fat metabolism can play in systemic metabolism.

Intrinsic muscle clock is necessary for musculoskeletal health

KEY POINTS

The endogenous molecular clock in skeletal muscle is necessary for maintenance of phenotype and function. Loss of Bmal1 solely from adult skeletal muscle (iMSBmal1(-/-) ) results in reductions in specific tension, increased oxidative fibre type and increased muscle fibrosis with no change in feeding or activity. Disruption of the molecular clock in adult skeletal muscle is sufficient to induce changes in skeletal muscle similar to those seen in the Bmal1 knockout mouse (Bmal1(-/-) ), a model of advanced ageing. iMSBmal1(-/-) mice develop increased bone calcification and decreased joint collagen, which in combination with the functional changes in skeletal muscle results in altered gait. This study uncovers a fundamental role for the skeletal muscle clock in musculoskeletal homeostasis with potential implications for ageing.

ABSTRACT

Disruption of circadian rhythms in humans and rodents has implicated a fundamental role for circadian rhythms in ageing and the development of many chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and cancer. The molecular clock mechanism underlies circadian rhythms and is defined by a transcription-translation feedback loop with Bmal1 encoding a core molecular clock transcription factor. Germline Bmal1 knockout (Bmal1 KO) mice have a shortened lifespan, show features of advanced ageing and exhibit significant weakness with decreased maximum specific tension at the whole muscle and single fibre levels. We tested the role of the molecular clock in adult skeletal muscle by generating mice that allow for the inducible skeletal muscle-specific deletion of Bmal1 (iMSBmal1). Here we show that disruption of the molecular clock, specifically in adult skeletal muscle, is associated with a muscle phenotype including reductions in specific tension, increased oxidative fibre type, and increased muscle fibrosis similar to that seen in the Bmal1 KO mouse. Remarkably, the phenotype observed in the iMSBmal1(-/-) mice was not limited to changes in muscle. Similar to the germline Bmal1 KO mice, we observed significant bone and cartilage changes throughout the body suggesting a role for the skeletal muscle molecular clock in both the skeletal muscle niche and the systemic milieu. This emerging area of circadian rhythms and the molecular clock in skeletal muscle holds the potential to provide significant insight into intrinsic mechanisms of the maintenance of muscle quality and function as well as identifying a novel crosstalk between skeletal muscle, cartilage and bone.

The endogenous molecular clock orchestrates the temporal separation of substrate metabolism in skeletal muscle

Background

Skeletal muscle is a major contributor to whole-body metabolism as it serves as a depot for both glucose and amino acids, and is a highly metabolically active tissue. Within skeletal muscle exists an intrinsic molecular clock mechanism that regulates the timing of physiological processes. A key function of the clock is to regulate the timing of metabolic processes to anticipate time of day changes in environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify metabolic genes that are expressed in a circadian manner and determine if these genes are regulated downstream of the intrinsic molecular clock by assaying gene expression in an inducible skeletal muscle-specific Bmal1 knockout mouse model (iMS-Bmal1^−/−).

Methods

We used circadian statistics to analyze a publicly available, high-resolution time-course skeletal muscle expression dataset. Gene ontology analysis was utilized to identify enriched biological processes in the skeletal muscle circadian transcriptome. We generated a tamoxifen-inducible skeletal muscle-specific Bmal1 knockout mouse model and performed a time-course microarray experiment to identify gene expression changes downstream of the molecular clock. Wheel activity monitoring was used to assess circadian behavioral rhythms in iMS-Bmal1^−/− and control iMS-Bmal1^+/+ mice.

Results

The skeletal muscle circadian transcriptome was highly enriched for metabolic processes. Acrophase analysis of circadian metabolic genes revealed a temporal separation of genes involved in substrate utilization and storage over a 24-h period. A number of circadian metabolic genes were differentially expressed in the skeletal muscle of the iMS-Bmal1^−/− mice. The iMS-Bmal1^−/− mice displayed circadian behavioral rhythms indistinguishable from iMS-Bmal1^+/+ mice. We also observed a gene signature indicative of a fast to slow fiber-type shift and a more oxidative skeletal muscle in the iMS-Bmal1^−/− model.

Conclusions

These data provide evidence that the intrinsic molecular clock in skeletal muscle temporally regulates genes involved in the utilization and storage of substrates independent of circadian activity. Disruption of this mechanism caused by phase shifts (that is, social jetlag) or night eating may ultimately diminish skeletal muscle’s ability to efficiently maintain metabolic homeostasis over a 24-h period.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13395-015-0039-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Circadian rhythms, the molecular clock, and skeletal muscle

Circadian rhythms are the approximate 24-h biological cycles that function to prepare an organism for daily environmental changes. They are driven by the molecular clock, a transcriptional:translational feedback mechanism that in mammals involves the core clock genes Bmal1, Clock, Per1/2, and Cry1/2. The molecular clock is present in virtually all cells of an organism. The central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) has been well studied, but the clocks in the peripheral tissues, such as heart and skeletal muscle, have just begun to be investigated. Skeletal muscle is one of the largest organs in the body, comprising approximately 45% of total body mass. More than 2300 genes in skeletal muscle are expressed in a circadian pattern, and these genes participate in a wide range of functions, including myogenesis, transcription, and metabolism. The circadian rhythms of skeletal muscle can be entrained both indirectly through light input to the SCN and directly through time of feeding and activity. It is critical for the skeletal muscle molecular clock not only to be entrained to the environment but also to be in synchrony with rhythms of other tissues. When circadian rhythms are disrupted, the observed effects on skeletal muscle include fiber-type shifts, altered sarcomeric structure, reduced mitochondrial respiration, and impaired muscle function. Furthermore, there are detrimental effects on metabolic health, including impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, which skeletal muscle likely contributes to considering it is a key metabolic tissue. These data indicate a critical role for skeletal muscle circadian rhythms for both muscle and systems health. Future research is needed to determine the mechanisms of molecular clock function in skeletal muscle, identify the means by which skeletal muscle entrainment occurs, and provide a stringent comparison of circadian gene expression across the diverse tissue system of skeletal muscle.