title: Central nervous system depressant activities of melatonin in rats and mice.
abstract: Melatonin (10 and 20 mg/kg) potentiated pentobarbitone (45 mg/kg) induced hypnosis; it (50 and 100 mg/kg) decreased both total and ambulatory activity; produced (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg) hypothermia and possessed (10-400 mg/kg) significant analgesic property both in tail-flick and acetic acid-induced writhing tests. Melatonin in low dose (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced the forced-swimming induced immobility period per se and also reserpine induced immobility. While the antinociceptive effect of melatonin was sensitive to reversal by naloxone (2 mg/kg), other CNS depressant profile resembled the effects of benzodiazepines.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Shaji
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D008550:Melatonin