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Science 17 October 1975:
Vol. 190. no. 4211, pp. 280 - 282
DOI: 10.1126/science.1179207
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Articles

Science, Vol 190, Issue 4211, 280-282
Copyright © 1975 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Melatonin: antigonadal and progonadal effects in male golden hamsters

FW Turek, C Desjardins, and M Menaker

Melatonin induced marked testicular regression in hamsters maintained on photostimulatory long days (light-dark 14 : 10). In animals maintained on nonstimulatory short days (light-dark 6 : 18), small amounts of melatonin (50 micrograms per day; 100 millimeters capsule length) prevented testicular regression; but testicular atrophy occurred in hamsters that received larger amounts of melatonin (75 to 100 micrograms per day; 150 to 200 millimeters capsule length) and in control hamsters that received none. The results demonstrate that melatonin can exert either pro- or antigonadal effects and emphasize that the effects of melatonin on the testis cannot be properly assessed unless account is taken of the dosage and mode of melatonin administration and the photoperiod on which experimental animals are maintained.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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Endocrinology 145, 1546-1549
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Nocturnal Melatonin Patterns in Children.
R. Salti, F. Galluzzi, G. Bindi, F. Perfetto, R. Tarquini, F. Halberg, and G. Cornélissen (2000)
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Dose-Dependent Entrainment of Rat Circadian Rhythms by Daily Injection of Melatonin.
V. M. Cassone, M. J. Chesworth, and S. M. Armstrong (1986)
J Biol Rhythms 1, 219-229
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Melatonin: a coordinating signal for mammalian reproduction?.
L Tamarkin, C. Baird, and O. Almeida (1985)
Science 227, 714-720
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Suprachiasmatic stimulation phase shifts rodent circadian rhythms.
B Rusak and G Groos (1982)
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Diurnal rhythm of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors in the rat brain in the absence of circulating estrogens.
E. Roy and M. Wilson (1981)
Science 213, 1525-1527
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Photoperiodic control and effects of melatonin on nonshivering thermogenesis and brown adipose tissue.
G Heldmaier, S Steinlechner, J Rafael, and P Vsiansky (1981)
Science 212, 917-919
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Melatonin induction of gonadal quiescence in pinealectomized Syrian hamsters.
L Tamarkin, C. Hollister, N. Lefebvre, and B. Goldman (1977)
Science 198, 953-955
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Melatonin: effects on the circadian locomotor rhythm of sparrows.
F. Turek, J. McMillan, and M Menaker (1976)
Science 194, 1441-1443
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)