Title: The Pineal Gland of Intact, Hypophysectomized, or Ovariectomized Rats
Abstract: THE PINEAL gland has been considered an organ which relates to sexual maturity since Gutzeit<sup>1</sup>had detected a pineal tumor in a case of precocious puberty. Attention has been paid recently to the pineal gland as a receptor of light.<sup>2</sup>Research has been provoked by the success of isolation of melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) from the pineal gland.<sup>3,4</sup> Wurtman et al<sup>5,6</sup>showed that administration of melatonin in rats decreases the incidence of estrus and reduces ovarian weight, and exposure to light reduces the activity of the pineal gland to synthesize melatonin, so that the ovarian weight increases. Contrarily, the ovarian weight is decreased by housing the animals in darkness,<sup>2</sup>which increases melatonin formation.<sup>7</sup>Roth et al<sup>8</sup>have observed that the parenchymal cells of the pineal gland were more atrophic and hypofunctional in the rats kept in continuous light than in those kept in darkness.
Publication Year: 1970
Publication Date: 1970-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 9
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