Table 2.
Sex-dependent effects of VIP-deficiency on wheel running activity.
| LD | Male VIP−/− | Female VIP−/− |
|---|---|---|
| LD activity, rev/hr | 234.05 ± 35.17** | 280.08 ± 25.18 |
| LD phase angle, min | −63.63 ± 44.20 | −8.70 ± 8.55 |
| LD precision, min | −53.84 ± 30.63 | −23.25 ± 10.14 |
| LD fragmentation, bouts/day | 6.00 ± 0.84 | 6.83 ± 0.63* |
| LD alpha, min | 474.25 ± 64.78 | 518.20 ± 56.06 |
| %activity in light | 20.43 ± 10.27 | 8.89 ± 3.51 |
| DD | Male VIP−/− | Female VIP−/− |
| LD-DD Phase angle, hr | −9.00 ± 0.39*** | −3.85 ± 1.40**# |
| DD tau, hr | 23.10 ± 0.27* | 23.15 ± 0.15** |
| DD power, hr | 26.88 ± 3.25** | 29.68 ± 3.00** |
| DD activity, rev/hr | 297.19 ± 42.30 | 364.28 ± 47.62 |
| DD precision, min | −131.62 ± 17.53*** | −302.98 ± 71.08***# |
| DD fragmentation, bouts/day | 7.24 ± 0.73 | 5.72 ± 0.49 |
| DD alpha, min | 599.43 ± 35.13* | 693.70 ± 44.44 |
Wheel running activity was monitored in male VIP−/− littermates from the same colony of VIP;PER2::LUC double transgenics. As previously described (13), male VIP−/− ;PER2::LUC mice have a shorter free-running period, vastly altered angle of entrainment as indicated by the large phase advance upon release to constant darkness, greatly reduced power of rhythm, and poor precision of daily activity onset. The same differences are observed in female VIP−/−;PER2::LUC mice. However, the angle of entrainment is less affected by the loss of VIP in females than males (2 way ANOVA sex x genotype interaction F = 11.22, P = 0.002; post-hoc Holm-Sidak t = 7.69, P < 0.001). In contrast, female VIP−/− mice have more imprecise activity onset than males (2 way ANOVA sex x genotype interaction F = 4.11, P = 0.05; post-hoc Holm-Sidak t = 3.19, P = 0.003).
indicates significant differences between WT and VIP−/− mice within sex as determined by Student’s t-test
indicates significant differences between male and female VIP−/− mice as determined by ANOVA post-hoc tests.