Unknown factors in chronobiology.

Abstract

Fundamental questions of chronobiology are examined, including the role of geophysical factors as the main synchronizers, individual variations of biorhythms, and the methodology for studying the rhythms. An analysis of data, published in the papers of leading chronobiologists and biosymmetrists, demonstrates that the variations of the geomagnetic field and tide-forming forces of the Moon and Sun provide the basis for homeostasis in living beings. Differences in individual biorhythms are studied and it is shown that these differences are connected with biosymmetry (chirality). The author introduces a new concept into chronobiology--the dissymmetry of processes in living beings--and examines its significance as one of the factors of homeostasis. New approaches in the methodology of chronobiology are discussed, in particular, the methods of analysis, which should be undertaken in the light of the laws examined in this paper.

1. Introduction

The science of chronobiology is now developing very rapidly. Its growth is caused not only by the general significance of its statements, but as much for the practical applications in medicine and other areas of science. (1, 2) This discipline is not an isolated science: its fruitful development reflects the fact that it is a branch of a much larger tree. (3) Readers interested in the further study of these problems may turn to some relevant literature. (4)

Starting from this position, then, it turns out that the further development of chronobiology must take into account several important laws that have been established by us over the last several years. Conditionally they can be called the unknown factors in chronobiology, not because it is necessary strictly to prove their great influence on biorhythmics, but because their effects are as yet little appreciated by the general scientific community. (5)

It should be noted that in the literature, attention has already been paid to the role of such subtle external synchronizers. However, these factors were considered insignificant, not definitive, and, most importantly, there was no convincing proof of their decisive role in living organisms. (6,7) During the course of our research work carried out from 1964-1996 we have been able to establish clearly the biological significance of several of these above-mentioned factors and to show their special significance for biology. (8)

2. Some Unknown Factors in Chronobiology

Of all "the unknown factors " important in chronobiology, only three are examined in the present article:

1. Exogenous influence of the geomagnetic field.

2. An endogenous influence of functional dissymmetry (chirality) on biological capabilities and processes.

3. Influence of tide-forming forces of the Moon and Sun on chirality of living beings. The significance of endogenous and exogenous factors in biorhythms has been known for some time. (9-11)

2.1. The Role of the Geomagnetic Field

Chronobiology studies the rhythms of various functional processes in normal and pathological conditions--cellular, physiological, genetic--with time spans from seconds to months, years, and decades. Attention should be paid to one very important feature of chronobiological research--the influence of variations of the geomagnetic field. All biological and functional processes have been studied by researchers in real time and in a specific location on the Earth (i.e., exact datum, time of day and place, town). Chronobiologists have up until now not given sufficient significance to these important factors of scientific research. If one focuses on this feature of biological rhythms and processes, one is able to discern its connection with one of "unknown" factors, the geomagnetic field, as shown in our own studies and those of others scientists. (6-13)

Living organisms are complex heterogeneous systems in which biocolloids and physicochemical reactions play the leading role. Hence, the experiments with colloid systems indicate effects of external physical factors. Investigations have revealed that the rate of colloid system reactions depends on solar activity and geomagnetic field variations. (8) For example, we are shown data for diurnal variations of the rate of hydrolysis of bismuth chloride (P-test from 20 years of research by Prof. Piccardi) (50) and diurnal variations of the geomagnetic field. (8) As one can see, the properties of the colloid system depend on the state of the geomagnetic field (see figure 1A). The main cause of this is the alteration by the geomagnetic field of the properties of water as a common component in living and nonliving systems.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In order that our statement may be even more convincing and understandable, we shall advance a series of examples based on our analysis of the researches of leading world authorities in biology, medicine, and genetics (see figures 1-10). We have analyzed the rhythms, published in works of different scientists in different times and countries, and compared them with variations of the geomagnetic field at local places where the work was done. In all cases, the results were the same: full synchronization with local variations of the geomagnetic field (Inclination and Declination) taken from the nearest national geophysical observatory. (8, 19-27)

[FIGURES 2-10 OMITTED]

As can be seen from the graphs, the circadian rhythm of any biological process is absolutely in phase and synchronous with the variations of the geomagnetic field exactly at that location where the experimental work was carried out. It is worth stressing this aspect, which is important in demonstrating the correctness of the laws discovered by us. The examples of synchronicity provided are based on work done at different times, by different researchers, in different geographical locations on the Earth.

From our point of view, the dependence of different biorhythms on the geomagnetic field is a fundamental law having a universal character, and shows that the geomagnetic fields is one of the main physical components in the chronotopology and chronobiology of living beings. Today in chronobiological researches, the leading role of the geomagnetic field in rhythmic processes are taken into account. (28-35) For example, dependence of basic rhythms of the brain on resonance harmonics of the geomagnetic field was shown in the work of Dubovoi, et al. (33-34)

Specialists have shown also that the geomagnetic field plays a significant role for a number of changes in the blood of healthy and sick people, such as the leukocyte and the trombocyte count, and the functional state of the fibrinolytic and the blood-clotting systems, etc. (8) There is the probability that the mechanism of these geomagnetic reactions is related to free radicals in the blood due to a disintegration of some neutrophiles, with nitric oxide formation as an active component. (35) Detailed analysis of the underlying physical problems was made by Dr. Binhi in a fundamental book on magnetobiology. (36)

2.2. The Role of Tide-Forming Force of Moon and Sun

The important role of gravity is an another exogenous factor in Space and Time of living beings. (37) The living organism is closely connected with the environment from the terrestrial layer to outer space. An organism, a peculiar "open-closed" system, quickly follows the smallest changes of the natural physical field surrounding and influencing it, since it is its habitat.

The physical fields of geomagnetism and gravity serve as the external synchronizers of the organism's endogenous rhythms, and are the main chronotopolgical (space-time) factors. The tides are obvious evidence of seemingly very weak gravitational effects of the Moon, the Sun, and other planets. (38) This influence is of great importance for living beings on the Earth. In this connection, gravitational fields may be supposed to carry some information about space-time alterations of astro-planetary factors determining the chronotopological parameters of living systems. It is important to note that the small tide-forming forces of the Moon and Sun create the chirality (dissymmetry) of plants.

For our analysis, we used the very detailed studies in the dynamics of morphological biosymmetric properties of plants made by Dr. Sulima. (39) The author of this gigantic work spent twenty years studying and analyzing thousands of plants. He established that there was definite regularity in the alteration and appearance of left, right and symmetric forms of plants (See figure 11).

[FIGURE 11 OMITTED]

On the basis of this data, he concluded that the formation of the symmetrical forms and the dynamics of change of one biosymmetry into another one within plants are not all that closely connected with inherited biosymmetrical characteristics according to Mendel's genetic laws. Our analysis has shown the far greater importance of the rival influence, the gravity factor, on the genetic apparatus of the sex cells at the moment of their union and seed formation (see figure 12). The dynamics of the biosymmetry in wheat, studied between 1960-1977 by Dr. Sulima, coincides completely with the motion of the lunar and the solar gravitational tide-forming force (data was for July each year, i.e., period of seed formation of wheat). Over a long period (17 years) the correlation coefficient between these two distinctive biological and geophysical variants was very high, equal to 0.95.

[FIGURE 12 OMITTED]

The graph in Figure 12 proves that gravitation plays an important part in the display of symmetry in wheat but it tells us very little about the actual mechanism of the phenomenon. However, we can suppose that the physical fields (geomagnetism and gravity) affect the stereometric properties of DNA molecules and proteins. The early stage of this process may well take place during the despiralization of the chromosomes and the unification of gametes. The fully shaped enantiomorphic characteristic of a biological object is decisive for subsequent development, and for all the major parameters of living organisms (see figure 13). (43)

[FIGURE 13 OMITTED]

2.3. Dissymmetry of Functional Processes in Living Beings

The dissymmetry of living organisms is very important for functional parameters. This factor determines the reactions of organisms to environmental factors, and homeostasis at all levels of organization. Regularities of symmetry have profound importance to science in general and biology in particular. (40-42)

We have discovered a completely new phenomenon in biology and medicine, which is very important for chronobiology, namely the dissymmetry of processes in living beings and of their rhythms based on the laws of harmony and the functional dissymmetry of biological objects. It is not tautology because living organisms have not only morphological symmetry and dissymmetry, but also symmetry and dissymmetry of reactivity to environmental factors (see figures 12,13).

The functional symmetry and dissymmetry is not only a new term in biology; it makes for the understanding of the many-sided aspects of existing biorhythms, return reactions, and functional processes of living beings. It is very important for biologists and medical workers, since the whole huge and important class of chronobiological phenomena will then have a unified theory for its description--biosymmetry of processes, i.e., diversity of response reactions of living beings.

This allows the following: firstly, the classification of biorhythms; secondly, the study of rhythms pertaining to separate objects, i.e. to research the individual rhythms and the manifestation of inter-subject variations of these; thirdly, to disclose new laws in chronobiology, using concepts, positions and laws of biosymmetry such as theory of harmony, proportional relationship, golden section, Fibonacci numbers, and the important role of the numbers 1,618, 0,417, 137 and other physical constants. (41,42)

We offer examples taken from chronobiological literature in order to reveal the substance of the question on the basis the author's own research. (42, 43) It should be noted that such a division into L-, R-, and S- rhythms is not a simple formal geometric operation, but rather that such functional enantiomorphs really react differently to environmental factors, or medical preparations, with varied dynamics of physiological and biochemical reactions. It also defines specific functional reactions of living organisms to different environmental factors and medicines (see figures 13,14).

[FIGURE 14 OMITTED]

In order to better prove the position we present published data of the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis. (44) From figure 14 it can be seen that there is a sharp division of the persons with asthma and bronchitis according to different forms in their treatment with "Dutimellanom "(DTM-8*15). This reaction of DTM reflects sharp differences of homeostasis in patients, and must be take into consideration by doctors during treatment.

3. Methodology of Work with Symmetry of Functional Processes

The discovery of the connection of dissymmetry of functional processes and the important roles of the geomagnetic and gravity fields in the functioning of living organisms demand specific methods of mathematical analysis. One of the best ways to study and describe it mathematically is the model of rhythms in the form of correlated random processes. This model is rational and progressive in that it averages rhythms as additive, additive-multiplicative, polyharmonic. (45-48) Moreover, as the authors note, its statistical characteristics-correlationary components, dispersion, mathematical expectation-are in general independent. Under certain conditions, it can be periodic, with period equal to, or a multiple of, the correlation and rhythmic period. (49, 50)

The rhythmic model being studied analyzes and well describes the changes and disruptions between the biorhythms and the variations of the geomagnetic field, i.e., the change in the spectral band of rhythmic signals, harmonic phase shifts, correlationary harmonic connections, correlationary period of harmonics, and the dispersion of harmonic components. Thus, such a model of rhythms permits the exact determination and description of the rhythmic connection between organisms and the geomagnetic field, its overall evaluation, and the demonstration of its functional dependence in time to reveal the various active exogenous synchronizers at different points in the rhythmic biological process.

With the above-mentioned comments about the use of such rhythmic models, we wanted to demonstrate only how fruitful for chronobiology such new functional symmetrical regularities and progressive mathematical methods could be. Chronobiologists often present combined curves, noting only the dimension of the standard error of measurement or the interval size between reliable differences. But one should not forget that, in these combined curves, other important information becomes lost, such as the discriminatory features of biological objects connected with functional enantiomorphic L-, R-, S-rhythm groups.

Meanwhile, this indicator is very important, since the application of chronobiology to practical medicine, especially pathological medicine, must be carried out with an appreciation for individual rhythmic differences in people, and not simply in reference to an abstract "average" person. We must also keep in mind the enormous diversity of functional processes in living beings, even if their indicators are evaluated with reference to a standard error in measurement.

4. Conclusion

In a single article it is difficult to demonstrate the entire significance to chronobiology and biochronotopology of those fundamental laws which have been discovered over the past few years. (8, 38,42) But we hope that the above-mentioned items will attract the attention of researchers concerned with the development of practical and theoretical questions of biology and medicine. (1, 2) In this article, only some aspects of the problems have been investigated, primarily the "unknown" factors in the realm of circadian rhythms. Rhythms of ultra--or infra-long--types possess still other "unknown" factors. But if we note even three of the above-mentioned factors, then this by itself will permit the development of chronobiology and biological geophysics in the correct direction.

If the validity of the scientific data we have presented is accepted, then from this follow important conclusions. In the new perspectives, two types of geophysical fields--geomagnetism and gravitation--are the main determinants of chronobiology and chirality, and these form the basis of functional diversity in the homeostasis of living beings.

Acknowledgement

The author would like to note the exceptional help of my late friend Mr. Christopher Bird and the consultations with Dr. K. S. Voichishin, fruitful discussions of the problem with Prof. Cyril Smith, Prof. Albert Schatz, Dr. Andrei Apostol, Dr. Vitaly Khalturin, Prof. John Evans and Mrs. Olga Khalturina in the preparation of the manuscript for publication.

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Alexander P. Dubrov, Ph.D. International Society of Chronobiology, Scientific--Practical Center of Biological Geophysics Moscow, Russia e-mail: [e-mail]