Effects of sham-pinealectomy, performed under white and red light, on the melatonin content of rat pineal glands.
Sham-pinealectomy, performed under different light conditons in newborn and adult rats, is followed by changes of pineal activity resulting in variations of melatonin content. The pineal glands of rats sham-operated under white light produce significantly less melatonin. In contrast, glands of rats operated on under red light show a melatonin content corresponding to that of intact rats. This result implies that normal white light causes a disturbance in melatonin production by a non-retinal pathway.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
D008550:Melatonin