title: Effects of acute ethanol administration on nocturnal pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity.
abstract: The effect of acute ethanol administration on pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity, norepinephrine and indoleamine content was examined in male rats. When ethanol was administered in two equal doses (2 g/kg body weight) over a 4 hour period during the light phase, the nocturnal rise in NAT activity was delayed by seven hours. The nocturnal pineal norepinephrine content was not altered by ethanol except for a delay in the reduction of NE with the onset of the following light phase. Although ethanol treatment led to a significant reduction in nocturnal levels of pineal serotonin content, there was no significant effect upon pineal content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). The data indicate that ethanol delays the onset of the rise of nocturnal pineal NAT activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia 65212.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Creighton
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Rudeen
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase