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Circadian rhythmicity of the activity of hydroxyindole-o-methyl transferase (HIOMT) in the formation of melatonin and 5-methoxytryptophol in the pineal, retina, and harderian gland of the golden hamster

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Summary

The day and night rhythms in the activity of HIOMT in the formation of melatonin and of 5-methoxytryptophol have been determined in the pineal, retina and Harderian gland of the adult male golden hamster.

In all hamsters used there was no detectable HIOMT activity in the deep pineal. In the superficial pineal HIOMT activity, involved in the synthesis of melatonin (Mel), was observed to be high at the end of the dark period and at the middle of the light period. Considering the HIOMT activity involved in the production of 5-methoxytryptophol (5-MTL), an increase in 5-MTL synthesis was observed only during the light period. Comparing the peak of Mel-production with that of 5-MTL it appears that during the light period the pineal produces more 5-MTL than Mel.

In the Harderian glands, the circadian course of HIOMT activity involved in the synthesis of Mel seems to run parallel to that of the enzyme implicated in 5-MTL synthesis, both being stimulated at the end of the dark period. The activity of HIOMT in 5-MTL production is, however, always approximately 2 times higher than for Mel synthesis.

In the retina the synthesis of Mel and 5-MTL is not significantly higher during the dark period than during the light period. However, the production of 5-MTL is larger than that of Mel.

It appears that (1) with the exception of the end of the dark period, the extra-pineal synthesis of Mel and 5-MTL is always higher than that in the pineal; (2) the circadian synthesis of 5-methoxyindoles is different in each organ, and (3) in the pineal the circadian activity of HIOMT involved in 5-MTL formation is different from that of the same enzyme involved in the formation of Mel. The results are discussed.

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Author notes

  1. P. Pévet

    Present address: The Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P. Pévet

  2. Zoological Laboratory, Section of Histology and Cell Biology, State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

    M. G. M. Balemans & W. C. Legerstee

  3. Laboratoire de Zoologie et Embryologie Expérimentale, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

    B. Vivien-Rœls

  4. Laboratoire de Physiologie Comparée des Régulations, CNRS, Strasbourg, France

    B. Vivien-Rœls

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Pévet, P., Balemans, M.G.M., Legerstee, W.C. et al. Circadian rhythmicity of the activity of hydroxyindole-o-methyl transferase (HIOMT) in the formation of melatonin and 5-methoxytryptophol in the pineal, retina, and harderian gland of the golden hamster. J. Neural Transmission 49, 229–245 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01252128

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