Presynaptic effects of melatonin on norepinephrine release and uptake in rat pineal gland

Sex differences in the association between chronotype and risk of depression

Information on sex differences in the association between chronotype and depression is scarce. We aimed to investigate these differences using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2016. Chronotypes were categorised based on mid-sleep time on free days corrected by sleep debt accumulated on workdays (MSFsc): early type, < mean MSFsc - 1 standard deviation (SD); intermediate type, between mean MSFsc - 1 SD and MSFsc + 1 SD; and late type, > mean MSFsc + 1 SD. A Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score of ≥ 10 indicated depression. Among 5550 non-shift working adults aged 19-80 years, the prevalence rates of depression in the early, intermediate, and late chronotype groups were 7.4%, 4.5%, and 9.3%, respectively. Women with late chronotype (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8-4.7) showed a higher risk of depression than women with intermediate chronotype after adjusting for covariates. Women with early chronotype did not show a significant difference in depression risk (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-2.0). In conclusion, late chronotype is associated with an increased risk of depression in women but not in men. Early chronotype is not associated with depression in women or men.

Olfactory bulb monoamine concentrations vary with time of day

The olfactory bulb (OB) has been recently identified as a circadian oscillator capable of operating independently of the master circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. OB oscillations manifest as rhythms in clock genes, electrical activity, and odor sensitivity. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin have been shown to modulate olfactory information processing by the OB and may be part of the mechanism that underlies diurnal changes in olfactory sensitivity. Rhythmic release of these neurotransmitters could generate OB rhythms in electrical activity and olfactory sensitivity. We hypothesized that these monoamines were rhythmically released in the OB. To test our hypotheses, we examined monoamine levels in the OB, over the course of a day, by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection. We observed that dopamine and its metabolite, 3-4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, rhythmically fluctuate over the day. In contrast, norepinephrine is arrhythmic. Serotonin and its metabolite hydroxyindoleacetic acid appear to rhythmically fluctuate. Each of these monoamines has been shown to alter OB circuit behavior and influence odor processing. Rhythmic release of serotonin may be a mechanism by which the suprachiasmatic nuclei communicate, indirectly, with the OB.

Generation of the melatonin endocrine message in mammals: a review of the complex regulation of melatonin synthesis by norepinephrine, peptides, and other pineal transmitters

Melatonin, the major hormone produced by the pineal gland, displays characteristic daily and seasonal patterns of secretion. These robust and predictable rhythms in circulating melatonin are strong synchronizers for the expression of numerous physiological processes in photoperiodic species. In mammals, the nighttime production of melatonin is mainly driven by the circadian clock, situated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, which controls the release of norepinephrine from the dense pineal sympathetic afferents. The pivotal role of norepinephrine in the nocturnal stimulation of melatonin synthesis has been extensively dissected at the cellular and molecular levels. Besides the noradrenergic input, the presence of numerous other transmitters originating from various sources has been reported in the pineal gland. Many of these are neuropeptides and appear to contribute to the regulation of melatonin synthesis by modulating the effects of norepinephrine on pineal biochemistry. The aim of this review is firstly to update our knowledge of the cellular and molecular events underlying the noradrenergic control of melatonin synthesis; and secondly to gather together early and recent data on the effects of the nonadrenergic transmitters on modulation of melatonin synthesis. This information reveals the variety of inputs that can be integrated by the pineal gland; what elements are crucial to deliver the very precise timing information to the organism. This also clarifies the role of these various inputs in the seasonal variation of melatonin synthesis and their subsequent physiological function.

Indoleamine metabolism in the pineal gland of the Chinese hamster, Cricetulus griseus

Day- and nighttime contents of pineal melatonin and other indoleamines were measured in the Chinese hamster, Cricetulus griseus. The hamsters were inbred in our colony and kept in LD 14:10. Absolute levels of pineal melatonin and N-acetylserotonin contents were extremely low, but showed a significant circadian rhythm with a minor peak during the light period. Pineal hydroxytryptophan and serotonin (5HT) contents were also found to be higher in the light period. The activity of N-acetyltransferase in the pineal was higher in the light period than in the dark period, whereas there was no difference in hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activity between the light and dark periods. The uptake level of tryptophan into the pineal gland was higher in the light period than in the dark period. These results suggest that the 5HT synthesis pathway and/or tryptophan uptake may be involved in forming the circadian rhythm of 5HT content in the Chinese hamster pineal gland.

Effects of sympathicolytic and sympathicomimetic drugs on pineal ultrastructure in the domestic pig

The effects of a 4-day administration of two sympathicolytic (alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, propranolol) and three sympathicomimetic (clorgyline, isoproterenol, dobutamine) drugs on the ultrastructure of the pineal gland in the domestic pig were examined. The morphological changes in the pinealocytes of the experimental groups mainly concerned cytoplasmic dense bodies, primary lysosomes, multivesicular bodies, dense core vesicles, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum. These structures seemed to be under direct or indirect control by the adrenergic nervous system. The relative volume of dense bodies in pinealocyte perikarya increased after administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine as well as propranolol and decreased on treatment with clorgyline. The decrease in the relative volume of primary lysosomes in pinealocyte perikarya was noted in pigs treated with clorgyline and isoproterenol. The number of multivesicular bodies in pinealocyte perikarya decreased after administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine. The numerical density of dense core vesicles in pinealocyte perikarya increased after treatment with clorgyline. Administration of isoproterenol and clorgyline resulted in the presence of wide cisterns of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Narrow cisterns of this form of endoplasmic reticulum and lamellar whorls were observed after treatment with alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine in pinealocytes with large dense bodies. The presence of multilamellar structures was a characteristic feature of the pinealocytes of pigs treated with isoproterenol and dobutamine. Administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine and clorgyline resulted in the appearance of pinealocytes which differed in number, size, and structure of dense bodies.

Microdialysis reveals dynamics of coupling between noradrenaline release and melatonin secretion in conscious rats

The coupling between noradrenergic innervation of the pineal gland and melatonin production was investigated. Previously, the development of a microdialysis technique was described which made it possible to study the noradrenaline (NA) input as well as the melatonin output with high time resolution. In the present study, we studied the effects of short-term changes in NA-release on melatonin secretion. A 1 min light pulse was applied around midnight and resulted in an immediate decrease of both NA and melatonin. While NA returned to basal levels in 40 min, melatonin did not reach the baseline within 2.5 h. This discrepancy in correlation between NA and melatonin indicates a rapid inactivation of N-acetyl-transferase (NAT), followed by a slow reactivation, possibly by de novo synthesis of NAT. During daytime, a perfusion with 60 mM potassium for 30 min, resulted in a rapid and short stimulation of NA release, which was not followed by an increase in melatonin production. This indicates that 30 min stimulation of NAT activation is not enough to increase the amount of melatonin produced. The combination of measuring NA input and melatonin output appears to be a valuable tool in studying the characteristics of pineal activity in great detail.

Evidence for a regulatory role of melatonin on serotonin release and uptake in the pineal gland

Melatonin has been proposed to exert some regulatory actions within the pineal gland itself. The present study examined the effect of melatonin on the release of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) from rat pineal glands by using an in vitro perifusion system. Melatonin induced a concentration-dependent stimulatory effect on 5-HT secretion from 10(-6) M to 10(-3) M. Maximal effects were obtained with melatonin 10(-3) M and concentrations lower than 10(-6) M were without effect. The secretion of 5-HIAA was inhibited by melatonin 10(-3) and 10(-4) M, but it was increased when pineals were incubated with 10(-5) and 10(-6) M of melatonin. The indoleamine secretion was also studied on peripherally denervated rat pineal glands. Basal output of 5-HT from these glands was increased when compared with those from control rats. In contrast, the secretion of 5-HIAA was strongly reduced after removal of the sympathetic input to the pineal gland. Melatonin 10(-3) M failed to stimulate 5-HT release from denervated pineal glands, although it inhibited 5-HIAA secretion. In contrast, melatonin 10(-5) M enhanced 5-HT release without altering 5-HIAA output. Fluoxetine, a 5-HT uptake inhibitor, produced similar effects than mM concentrations of melatonin on the indoleamine secretion from control pineal glands, but it had no effect on glands taken from peripherally denervated rats. These data suggest that mM concentrations of the pineal hormone are able to stimulate 5-HT release from the pinealocyte, while mM concentrations of melatonin increase extracellular 5-HT by inhibiting its reuptake in the adrenergic nerve endings. These findings are discussed in relation to the possible role of melatonin regulating the intra- and extracellular availability of 5-HT in the pineal gland and its significance as an autocrine factor.

Pharmacologic studies on the mechanism of melatonin-induced vasorelaxation in rat aorta

The influence of several classes of drugs on the melatonin-induced vasorelaxation of isolated rat aorta were examined. Melatonin caused a dose-dependent relaxation of precontracted (30 mM KCl) aorta. This relaxant response was blocked by preincubating vessels with antagonists of vasoactive intestinal peptide. Substance P antagonists did not alter the response to melatonin. Pretreatment of vessels with 6-hydroxydopamine, lidocaine, or tetrodotoxin antagonized the relaxant response to melatonin. On the other hand, pretreatment with atropine + propranolol did not alter the response to melatonin. These experiments suggest that melatonin may exert part of its vasoactive actions by an interaction with perivascular nerve terminals.