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Melatonin secretion in rams maintained in constant darkness depends on the timing of a single 1‐hour light pulse given the previous night
Author(s) -
Ravault J.P.,
Chesneau D.
Publication year - 1996
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.1996.tb00289.x
Subject(s) - melatonin , darkness , pulse (music) , circadian rhythm , endocrinology , secretion , medicine , suprachiasmatic nucleus , biology , physics , optics , detector
Previous data have demonstrated that a single 1‐hr light pulse at night affects the secretion of melatonin in the ram if it was given at the appropriate time. This paper reports the effect on melatonin secretion of a 1 ‐hr light pulse given at two different times at night to two groups of rams kept in constant darkness the day following light application. It appears that the animals were able to remember the light pulse if it was given 12 hr but not 9 hr after the lights were turned off. This memory could possibly be stored in the suprachiasmatic nucleus as reported recently in the rat.