[Melatonin action in apoptosis and vascular endothelial growth factor in adrenal cortex of pinealectomized female rats].

Purpose: to evaluate the reactivity of VEGF-A and cleaved caspase-3 in the adrenal gland cortex of female pinealectomized rats treated with melatonin.

Methods: forty adult female rats were divided into 4 groups (G) of 10 animals: GI - no surgical intervention, with vehicle administration; GII - sham pinealectomized with vehicle administration; GIII - pinealectomized with vehicle administration; GIV - pinealectomized with melatonin administration (10 µg/animal) during the night. After 60 days of treatment, all animals were anesthetized, and the adrenal glands were removed and fixed in 10% formaldehyde (phosphate buffered) for histological processing and paraffin embedding.