Influence of melatonin on reproductive behavior in male rats.
The influence of melatonin on reproductive behavior was examined by administering it to pinealectomized male rats for 30 consecutive days. After the 30-d administration of melatonin or vehicle, each male rat was introduced into a female rat's cage on the day of proestrus and allowed to mate overnight. All rats administered the vehicle and the pinealectomized rats copulated; five of the twelve melatonin (8.0 mg/kg)-treated rats did not copulate. These findings suggest that melatonin inhibits the reproductive behavior of male rats.
Yamada
K
K
Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Education, Tokyo College of Pharmacy, Japan.
Maruyama
K
K
Mogami
S
S
Miyagawa
N
N
Tsuboi
M
M
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*
D008550:Melatonin