Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 7 January 1983:
Vol. 219. no. 4580, pp. 77 - 79
DOI: 10.1126/science.6849121
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Science, Vol 219, Issue 4580, 77-79
Copyright © 1983 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Role for acetylcholine in mediating effects of light on reproduction

DJ Earnest and FW Turek

The length of day, or photoperiod, regulates the annual cycle of reproductive activity in the golden hamster. The inhibitory effects of a short-day photoperiod on testicular function were prevented by nighttime, but not daytime, intraventricular injections of carbachol, a cholinergic agonist. Short pulses of light during the night also block short-day induced testicular regression. The findings suggest that acetylcholine may play an important role in the mechanism through which information about the light-dark environment is transferred to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Coupling of Muscarinic Cholinergic Receptors and cGMP in Nocturnal Regulation of the Suprachiasmatic Circadian Clock.
C. Liu, J. M. Ding, L. E. Faiman, and M. U. Gillette (1997)
J. Neurosci. 17, 659-666
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Effects of Intraventricular Carbachol Injections on the Free-Running Activity Rhythm of the Hamster.
J. H. Meijer, E. van der Zee, and M. Dietz (1988)
J Biol Rhythms 3, 333-348
   Abstract »    PDF »
Avian pancreatic polypeptide phase shifts hamster circadian rhythms when microinjected into the suprachiasmatic region.
H. Albers, C. Ferris, S. Leeman, and B. Goldman (1984)
Science 223, 833-835
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)