Lobo R A, Limãos E A
Departamento de Fisiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brasil.
Braz J Med Biol Res. 1991;24(11):1159-62.
In view of the known interactions between pineal and adrenal glands and the importance of glucocorticoids on the acute phase of inflammatory process, we investigated the effect of the pineal gland on the paw edema response induced by carrageenin in female Wistar rats, weighing 170-220 g, measured by the pletysmographic method. Adrenalectomy increased the rate of the inflammatory response (149.02 +/- 2.93%, N = 7 vs 113.48 +/- 2.99%, N = 7) whereas pinealectomy and sham-pinealectomy under white light had an inhibitory effect (81.73 +/- 2.16%, N = 15 and 80.21 +/- 1.85%, N = 14 vs 113.48 +/- 2.99%, N = 7). Sham-pinealectomy under red light did not modify the rate of the inflammatory response. These results indicate that the pineal gland can be affected by light during sham-pinealectomy. In view of the unaltered adrenal gland weight and corticosterone levels among the different groups, we propose an antagonism between melatonin (pineal hormone) and glucocorticoids at the peripheral level. The predominant effect of glucocorticoids over melatonin may explain the inhibition of the inflammatory response caused by pinealectomy.
鉴于松果体与肾上腺之间已知的相互作用以及糖皮质激素在炎症过程急性期的重要性，我们采用体积描记法，研究了松果体对体重170 - 220克的雌性Wistar大鼠角叉菜胶诱导的爪部水肿反应的影响。肾上腺切除术增加了炎症反应速率（149.02 +/- 2.93%，N = 7，对比113.48 +/- 2.99%，N = 7），而松果体切除术以及白光下的假松果体切除术具有抑制作用（81.73 +/- 2.16%，N = 15和80.21 +/- 1.85%，N = 14，对比113.48 +/- 2.99%，N = 7）。红光下的假松果体切除术未改变炎症反应速率。这些结果表明，假松果体切除术中松果体可受光的影响。鉴于不同组间肾上腺重量和皮质酮水平未改变，我们提出褪黑素（松果体激素）与糖皮质激素在外周水平存在拮抗作用。糖皮质激素对褪黑素的主要作用可能解释了松果体切除术引起的炎症反应抑制。
