Abstract
To secure reproductive success, mammals require the establishment of several physiological and behavioral processes, as well as the involvement of environmental signals. During reproduction, females secrete a number of different hormones to induce an optimal ovulation for a potential fertilization. These events are presented rhythmically and are linked to the circadian regulation. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus is considered the master clock of circadian rhythms in mammals, it affects neural and endocrine manner on several physiological systems daily. Reproductive physiology is coordinated by SCN connections with other hypothalamic areas, which are responsible for the release of the hormones involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonads axis (HPG). This review will address the communication between the circadian system and the HPG axis in the regulation of the estrous cycle, with a particular emphasis on the recent discovery of the role of the ovary as a peripheral circadian oscillator in rodents.
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