Premium
The effect of exogenous melatonin on the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis in intact and pinealectomized rats under basal and stressed conditions
Author(s) -
Weidenfeld Y.,
Schmidt U.,
Nir I.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of pineal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1600-079X
pISSN - 0742-3098
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1993.tb00486.x
Subject(s) - melatonin , medicine , endocrinology , basal (medicine) , hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis , pinealectomy , biology , circadian rhythm , pineal gland , pituitary gland , hormone , insulin
The effect of exogenous melatonin on the adrenocortical axis was studied by determining serum corticosteroid and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) levels under basal and stressed conditions in intact, pinealectomized, and adrenalectomized mature male rats. A direct interrelationship between pineal/melatonin and the adrenal cortex, dissociated from the hypothalamic‐pituitary axis, was established. Intraperitoneal injection of 100 μg melatonin brought about an elevated adrenocortical response recorded in the serum corticosteroid levels 15 hr afterwards. This effect could be demonstrated only at the beginning of the photophase, when physiological levels of corticosteroids and ACTH are at their lowest daily levels. The pattern of this reaction is different from those caused by stressors such as ether or hypoglycemic reagents, and did not occur in pinealectomized animals although the daily rhythm of corticosteroids and ACTH persisted. No effect on ACTH was evident in intact or adrenalectomized rats, where the serum levels remained unchanged. Moreover, the corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) content of the median eminence was not affected by melatonin.