Light does not phase shift the circadian clock of subcutaneous adipose tissue in vitro.

The retinal photopigment melanopsin is also expressed in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT). Through melanopsin, light can modulate scWAT metabolism, but its impact on circadian phase is unclear. In vitro exposure of murine scWAT to bright light at different times over 24 h did not elicit phase shifts, unlike the response to corticosterone. This finding suggests that the direct impact of bright light on scWAT metabolism occurs in a circadian-independent manner.