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Sleep and circadian regulation of cortisol: A short review
Open accessAbstract
The central circadian pacemaker (CCP) located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus drives the 24-hour pattern in cortisol, which functions as the main central synchronizing signal that coordinates peripheral clocks in organs that control whole body metabolism. A superimposed pulsatile pattern of cortisol allows rapid responses that fine tune the body's reaction to changes in the environment. In addition to coordinating metabolic processes to predictable environmental events, cortisol is the main catabolic signal which acts with testosterone, the quintessential male anabolic hormone, to maintain catabolic-anabolic homeostasis in men. Sleep restriction, when sufficiently substantial, increases late afternoon/early evening cortisol, but does not alter 24-hour cortisol; whereas even maximal acute circadian misalignment only slightly delays the cortisol rhythm. Prolonged circadian misalignment decreases overall cortisol exposure. The implications of these regulatory changes on health and disease requires further evaluation.
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“Experimental administration of glucocorticoid synchronizes the peripheral clocks located in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue which are the major storage sites for glycogen, protein, and fat, respectively, as well as other metabolically relevant organs such as pancreas and gut [60–63].”
From Sleep, testosterone and cortisol balance, and ageing men (2022) · cites this paper as [62]
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“This rhythm is important for its action because cortisol, not melatonin, is recognized to be the key metabolic central synchronizing signal [60–62].”
From Sleep, testosterone and cortisol balance, and ageing men (2022) · cites this paper as [62]
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Metadata
- Authors
- O'Byrne, N. A., Yuen, F., Butt, W. Z., & Liu, P. Y.
- Affiliations
- The Lundquist Institute (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Peter Y.
- Venue
- Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-06
- Volume
- 18
- Pages
- 178-186
- ISSN
- 2451-9650 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8813037
- OpenAlex
- W3152175603
- Cited by
- 145
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 54 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 1.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Opinion in Endocrine and Metabolic Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- cortisol, circadian rhythm, sleep, suprachiasmatic nucleus, circadian misalignment, sleep restriction, testosterone
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