title: Derivatives of [3H]serotonin in organ cultures of hamster pineal gland.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the viability of the hamster pineal gland in organ culture and to test the effect of norepinephrine (NE) on [3H]serotonin derivatives. In this study, elevated levels of melatonin (7-fold, p less than .05), 5- hydroxytrytophol (5-fold, p less than .001), 5-methoxytryptophol (1.78-fold, p less than .05), and depressed levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (3.8-fold, p less than .02) and methoxyindoleacetic acid (1.78-fold, p less than .05) were detected in the glands following the addition of NE to the medium. In a separate experiment, melatonin concentration in the media was also periodically measured by radioimmunoassay to determine the viability of the organ culture over a four-day period. The melatonin level on day 2 (2321 +/- 106 pg/gland) was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than on day 3 (1542 +/- 86 pg/gland) or day 4 (805 +/- 39 pg/gland). The results of these experiments verify the viability of the hamster pineal organ culture and show that the gland responds to NE in vitro.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D006224:Cricetinae; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; C001736:5-methoxyindoleacetic acid; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D008550:Melatonin; D009638:Norepinephrine