PINEAL GLAND: INFLUENCE ON GONADS OF MALE HAMSTERS.
Exposure of male hamsters to cycles of 1 hour of light and 23 hours of darkness causes atrophy of the gonads. Pinealectomy prevents this atrophy, but has no effect on animals exposed to light-dark cycles of 16 : 8. Likewise, removal of both eyes induces gonad atrophy which is prevented by pinealectomy. These data emphasize the importance of the pineal gland in the regulation of photoperiodic influences on the gonads.
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006224:Cricetinae; D003624:Darkness; D005123:Eye; D006066:Gonads; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D010507:Periodicity; D010827:Physiology; D010870:Pineal Gland; D012106:Research; D013737:Testis
ATROPHY; DARKNESS; EXPERIMENTAL LAB STUDY; EYE; HAMSTERS; LIGHT; PERIODICITY; PHYSIOLOGY; PINEAL BODY; TESTIS