Abstract

Chronodisruption, a common issue in urbanized societies, has been linked to detrimental health effects from gestation to adulthood, including metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunctions. Aligned with the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, our research focuses on maternal-fetal circadian interactions, with melatonin as a key mediator. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of supplementing maternal melatonin to alleviate the impact of gestational chronodisruption on offspring. corticosterone rhythms. By using Sprague-Dawley rats, pregnant females were divided into three groups: a control group (LD-Control) maintained in a standard photoperiod, a chronodisrupted group (CPS) subjected to chronicphotoperiod shifting, and a CPS melatonin-treated group (CPS+Mel) undergoing photoperiod shifting with melatonin supplementation. Plasma corticosterone levels were measured at 200 days postpartum. The CPS group displayed desynchronized corticosterone rhythms, while the LD-Control group showed normal synchronization. Remarkably, the CPS+Mel group exhibited significantly normalized rhythms, with corticosterone secretion patterns closely resembling the control group. This suggests that prenatal melatonin supplementation can counteract the adverse effects of gestational chronodisruption, potentially restoring circadian homeostasis in offspring. These findings highlight melatonin’s role in fetal programming and suggest its potential in managing environmental disruptions affecting circadian biology, reinforcing the importance of circadian factors in developmental health