By Tiffany Ng '20
The circadian rhythm is essentially a built-in biological 24-hour clock in plants, animals, and fungi. The most common instance where the circadian rhythm is disturbed is during air travel across multiple time zones at once, also known as jet lag. Light, food and temperature are already known as factors that influence the circadian rhythm, and can help to alleviate jet lag in humans. Are there other factors that can be adjusted to cure jet lag faster?Dr. Gad Asher, a clinician and assistant professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and his colleagues have been studying the effects of oxygen on the circadian system, specifically in mice. Their study, published on October 20 in Cell Metabolism, shows that decreasing oxygen levels can reset the internal clocks of “jet lagged” mice faster.Asher conducted the study by making a six-hour change in a group of mice’s normal light-dark cycle, essentially making them jet lagged without putting them on a plane. He then gave twelve-hours of decreased oxygen to some of the mice. The result of this was that the mice returned to their eating, sleeping, and running patterns much quicker.HIF1α is a protein that plays a role in the cellular response to oxygen levels in mammals. When Asher took out the HIF1α genes in a group of mice and repeated the experiment, lowered oxygen levels did not help to cure their jet lag quickly. Asher’s study encourages the idea to cure jet lag in humans by altering oxygen levels in airplane cabins or after landing. However, the success of curing jet lag speedily with oxygen could be isolated to mice. More research on humans’ circadian rhythms and oxygen need to be done before concluding its efficacy on humans.Even though low oxygen levels on curing jet lag in humans have not been confirmed yet, Asher is already brewing potential business ideas that could arise from such a discovery. He imagines a prospective opening of an oxygen bar, where the passengers of long-haul flights step off to inhale some low oxygen levels while awaiting their luggage.Another cure for jet lag may be well on its way.Sources:¨https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161020142746.htm¨http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/10/20/498567073/breathing-less-oxygen-reduces-jet-lag-at-least-in-mice¨https://www.sleepassociation.org/patients-general-public/jet-lag-2/