Cassone V M
Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843.
Trends Neurosci. 1990 Nov;13(11):457-64. doi: 10.1016/0166-2236(90)90099-v.
In many species of vertebrates the pineal gland and its indoleamine hormone melatonin play central roles in the control of circadian rhythms, whereas in some species, the pineal gland appears to hold little importance. However, recent research indicates that the circadian rhythms of many species of reptiles, birds and mammals, including humans, are synchronized by the administration of exogenous melatonin. These studies have led to questions concerning the role of this hormone in circadian organization in general. Studies of the sites and mechanisms of melatonin action further indicate that melatonin may be an excellent pharmacological tool for research on the cellular mechanisms of circadian clock function and have pointed to the possibility that melatonin or melatonin analogues may be therapeutically useful for the control of circadian clock dysfunctions such as jet lag, shift-work syndrome and sleep disorders.
在许多脊椎动物物种中，松果体及其吲哚胺激素褪黑素在昼夜节律的控制中起着核心作用，而在一些物种中，松果体似乎并不重要。然而，最近的研究表明，包括人类在内的许多爬行动物、鸟类和哺乳动物物种的昼夜节律可通过给予外源性褪黑素实现同步。这些研究引发了关于这种激素在一般昼夜节律组织中作用的问题。对褪黑素作用位点和机制的研究进一步表明，褪黑素可能是研究昼夜节律钟功能细胞机制的一种优秀药理学工具，并指出褪黑素或褪黑素类似物可能在治疗上有助于控制昼夜节律钟功能障碍，如时差反应、轮班工作综合征和睡眠障碍。
