title: In vitro effects of melatonin on [3H]muscimol binding in rat brain.
abstract: The possible interaction of melatonin with the GABAergic system at the receptor level was investigated. The effect of melatonin on the binding of the GABA agonist, [3H]muscimol, in crude synaptic membrane preparations was assayed. In fresh membrane preparations, melatonin increased [3H]muscimol binding in the rat striatum and frontal cortex. Treatment of membrane preparations with Triton X-100 appeared to abolish or depress the enhancing effect of melatonin. The use of Tris HCl as buffer appeared to be more effective than Tris-Citrate buffer suggesting a possible important ionic effect. The present findings suggest that melatonin is capable of enhancing [3H]muscimol binding in vitro, perhaps at the benzodiazepine-GABA-receptor-ionophore complex.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002021:Buffers; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009118:Muscimol / Q000378:metabolism*; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects*; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D010080:Oxazoles; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D009118:Muscimol; D008550:Melatonin