[Circadian rhythm abnormality and hypertension].

In our consumer-oriented society, poor sleep patterns and hectic lifestyle are detrimental to harmonious physiological and metabolic body systems, with severe impact on public health. Circadian rhythms generated by a trillion peripheral cellular clocks throughout the body, governing most aspects of human physiology and behavior, are threatened to be compromised. We recently reported that arrhythmic mice lacking the clock genes Cry1 and Cry2(Cry-null mice) show salt-sensitive hypertension due to abnormally high synthesis of the mineralocorticoid aldosterone in the zoma glomerulosa of the adrenal gland. The clock-controlled enzyme, a new type 3beta-hydroxyl-steroid dehydrogenase, is claimed to be a possible cause of hypertension.