Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Journal of Biological Rhythms
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van't Hof, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Gwinner, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van't Hof, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Gwinner, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Influence of Pinealectomy and Pineal Stalk Deflection on Circadian Gastrointestinal Tract Melatonin Rhythms in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Thomas J. Van't Hof

Eberhard Gwinner

Research Center for Ornithology of the Max-Planck-Society, D-82346, Andechs, Germany

The authors examined levels of melatonin in the plasma and various tissues in intact, pinealectomized, and pineal stalk–deflected zebra finches kept under 12:12 LD to determine if the melatonin found in the gastrointestinal tract is secreted in a circadian manner. In intact and pineal stalk-deflected birds, there is a clear day-night rhythm in melatonin content of the plasma, pineal gland, eyes, proventriculus, crop, duodenum, jejunum/ileum, colon, heart, and liver. In contrast, pinealectomy abolished the day-night rhythm. These results indicate that most of the melatonin present in the gastrointestinal tract of zebra finches is of pineal origin. However, some melatonin remained. This suggests that this melatonin may be locally synthesized and has paracrine and/or autocrine functions. Nonetheless, the results do not lend support to the contention that this putative melatonin secretion by the gastrointestinal tract is circadian.

Key Words: gastrointestinal tract • melatonin • zebra finch • circadian • pinealectomy

Journal of Biological Rhythms, Vol. 14, No. 3, 185-189 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/074873099129000588
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J Biol RhythmsHome page
A. Dawson and T. J. Van't Hof
Ontogeny of the Daily Profile of Plasma Melatonin in European Starlings Raised under Long or Short Photoperiods
J Biol Rhythms, June 1, 2002; 17(3): 259 - 265.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J Biol RhythmsHome page
U. Abraham, E. Gwinner, and T. J. Van't Hof
Exogenous Melatonin Reduces the Resynchronization Time after Phase Shifts of a Nonphotic Zeitgeber in the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
J Biol Rhythms, February 1, 2000; 15(1): 48 - 56.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J Biol RhythmsHome page
E. Reierth, T. J. Van't Hof, and K.-A. Stokkan
Seasonal and Daily Variations in Plasma Melatonin in the High-Arctic Svalbard Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus hyperboreus)
J Biol Rhythms, August 1, 1999; 14(4): 314 - 319.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
R. Brandstatter, V. Kumar, U. Abraham, and E. Gwinner
Photoperiodic information acquired and stored in vivo is retained in vitro by a circadian oscillator, the avian pineal gland
PNAS, October 24, 2000; 97(22): 12324 - 12328.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]