Photoperiodic control and effects of melatonin on nonshivering thermogenesis and brown adipose tissue.
Exposure to a short photoperiod improved the thermogenic capacity, and cold resistance of Djungarian hamsters and increased the respiratory power of their brown adipose tissue. Exposure to a long photoperiod caused a decrease in thermogenic measurements. This thermotropic action of the short photoperiod was detectable only during late summer and fall. A similar thermotropic response could be elicited by implanting hamsters with melatonin, indicating that the pineal may be involved in photoperiodic control of thermoregulatory effectors.
D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006224:Cricetinae; D008027:Light; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010507:Periodicity; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons
D008550:Melatonin