title: Scotophobin A causes several responses in goldfish if the pineal gland is present.
abstract: Rat scotophobin A increased dark avoidance in goldfish in dark and light avoidance shuttlebox experiments, controlled for general and light cycling-induced swimming activity. A possible site of action for scotophobin was suggested by the reports that dark avoidance was also increased in goldfish by pinealectomy, a treatment which increased shock sensitivity as well. It was found that scotophobin alone decreased the voltage required to induce tail-flip contractures in goldfish. The pineal gland was further implicated in the mode of action of scotophobin when it was found that this peptide suppressed the norepinephrine-induced aggregation of goldfish chromatophores whose state is in part controlled by pineal melatonin. Pinealectomized goldfish became insensitive to the effects of scotophobin upon both light-dark preference and chromatophore aggregation state. There observations strongly suggest that the pineal gland is required for the action of scotophobin.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002856:Chromatophores / Q000187:drug effects; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006054:Goldfish / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D009638:Norepinephrine