日本研究人员24日说，体毛根部的毛根细胞能用来测定人体生物钟正常与否，他们已经开发出了相关技术，可帮助预防或治疗抑郁症、高血压和睡眠障碍等与人体生物钟紊乱有关的疾病。
日本山口大学和佐贺大学的联合研究小组在24日出版的美国《国家科学院学报》上发表论文说，与血液和口腔内黏膜细胞相比，毛根细胞含有更丰富的信使核糖核酸（mRNA），更加适合用于判断人体生物钟状况。
研究小组已开发出相关检测技术，并在6名男性工人身上进行了试验。这6名工人每周轮换一次白班和夜班。他们说，虽然6人起床时间约有7小时的差别，但体内生物钟却只错开2小时左右，出现了5小时左右的生物钟紊乱状态。生活节奏的急剧变化导致体内生物钟无法适应，出现慢性生物钟紊乱。
参与研究的佐贺大学医学部教授野出孝一说：“这一技术有望帮助制定能够避免出现生物钟紊乱的值班表，并决定治疗药物投放的时间段，以取得最好效果。”（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
PNAS doi:10.1073/pnas.1003878107
Noninvasive method for assessing the human circadian clock using hair follicle cells
Makoto Akashi a , 1 , Haruhiko Soma b , Takuro Yamamoto b , Asuka Tsugitomi c , Shiko Yamashita b , Takuya Yamamoto d , Eisuke Nishida d , Akio Yasuda b , James K. Liao e , and Koichi Node c
A thorough understanding of the circadian clock requires qualitative evaluation of circadian clock gene expression. Thus far, no simple and effective method for detecting human clock gene expression has become available. This limitation has greatly hampered our understanding of human circadian rhythm. Here we report a convenient, reliable, and less invasive method for detecting human clock gene expression using biopsy samples of hair follicle cells from the head or chin. We show that the circadian phase of clock gene expression in hair follicle cells accurately reflects that of individual behavioral rhythms, demonstrating that this strategy is appropriate for evaluating the human peripheral circadian clock. Furthermore, using this method, we indicate that rotating shift workers suffer from a serious time lag between circadian gene expression rhythms and lifestyle. Qualitative evaluation of clock gene expression in hair follicle cells, therefore, may be an effective approach for studying the human circadian clock in the clinical setting.
