title: Gastrointestinal melatonin: cellular identification and biological role.
abstract: Melatonin, a pineal hormone, because of its wide activity spectrum, is a subject of much current interest for biologists and physicians. It has been demonstrated that pineal gland is not an exclusive source of melatonin synthesis. Melatonin synthesis has been found in different sites of the organism, and a major source of extrapineal melatonin is the gastrointestinal tract. The role of melatonin in gastrointestinal functions is considered in the present review.
authors.affiliation: Saint-Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Northwest Branch, 197110, Saint-Petersburg, Russia. kvetnoy@medport.ru
authors.forename: Igor M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kvetnoy
authors.forename: Irina E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Ingel
authors.forename: Tatiana V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Kvetnaia
authors.forename: Nadezhda K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Malinovskaya
authors.forename: Semen I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rapoport
authors.forename: Nathan T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Raikhlin
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Trofimov
authors.forename: Vadim V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Yuzhakov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000166:cytology; D004068:Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; D004759:Enterochromaffin Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin