Effects of single doses and daily melatonin treatments on serotonin metabolism in rat brain regions.

The acute effects of two doses (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) of melatonin on the levels of tryptophan, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in several rat brain regions were studied. Tryptophan content in the brain regions was unchanged by the treatments.

Melatonin effect on serotonin uptake and release in rat platelets: diurnal variation in responsiveness.

Unlabelled: The present study was conducted to examine whether melatonin impairs serotonin (5HT) release and uptake in rat platelets. Exposure of platelet-rich plasma samples (PRP) to melatonin induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of 5HT uptake and the value of IC50 was 1.3 x 10(-3) M.

Pineal and plasma melatonin as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A rapid and sensitive method for the routine quantitative determination of melatonin in pineal and plasma is described. The assay used reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation combined with either amperometric (system A) or coulometric (system B) detection. The method gave satisfactory reproducibility and accuracy, and detection limits for melatonin were as low as 8.

Effect of nifedipine and S-adenosylmethionine in the liver of rats treated with CCl4 and ethanol for one month.

An experimental model of toxic liver injury in rats was employed to assay the effect of Nifedipine (a calcium antagonist blocker) and S-Adenosylmethionine (a precursor of glutathione). An important decrease in both perivenular fibrosis and cirrhosis was found. Furthermore, a significant decrease in lactic acid levels was found in the group of animals treated with pharmacologic therapy, although no correlation was seen between lactic acid levels and the different degrees of perivenular fibrosis.

Long-term pinealectomy alters hypothalamic serotonin metabolism in the rat.

In the present study, the effects of long-term pinealectomy on tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin), 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and tryptophan hydroxylase and monoamine oxidase activities were studied in preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POA-AH) and in the medial and posterior hypothalamus of the rat. After pinealectomy, 5-HT levels decreased significantly in medial hypothalamus but increased in the POA-AH. The levels of 5-HIAA decreased significantly in the POA-AH and medial hypothalamus.

Differential effects of pinealectomy on amygdala and hippocampus serotonin metabolism.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of long-term pinealectomy on serotonin metabolism in the amygdala and the hippocampus of male rats. Pinealectomy did not significantly alter either tryptophan or serotonin concentrations in the amygdala or the hippocampus. However, statistically significant decreases in 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid levels and tryptophan hydroxylase activity were found in the amygdala.

Ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines in liver and kidneys of rats on cyclical regimen of protein-free and protein-containing diets. Relationship to deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in liver.

1. The activity of ornithine decarboxylase in the liver and kidneys of rats maintained on a cyclical regimen of protein-free and protein-containing diets was investigated. There was a daily activation of the enzyme in response to the feeding of protein after 3 days feeding of protein-free diet.