Sensitivity and cyclic nucleotides in the rat pineal gland.

beta-Adrenergic stimulation induces serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) activity in the rat pineal gland. The magnitude and some of the characteristics of this response vary as a function of the gland's previous exposure to stimulation. A period of stimulation results in a subsensitive response to subsequent stimulation. A period without stimulation provides a supersensitive response to subsequent stimulation. Investigations concerned with the mechanisms regulating the rat pineal's sensitivity to beta-adrenergic stimulation are described. These have focused on the regulation of cyclic AMP metabolism. Several of the components involved in the induction of SNAT activity appear to participate in the regulation of sensitivity. These include the beta-adrenergic binding sites, the catecholamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase, the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, and the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Thus, the rat pineal's sensitivity to beta-adrenergic stimulation appears to be regulated at multiple sites. Other investigations have focused on the regulation of pineal cyclic GMP metabolism. Unlike cyclic AMP, the stimulation of cyclic GMP synthesis requires the presence of intact nerve endings and of extracellular calcium. Some of the characteristics of pineal cyclic GMP regulation are described.