[Autoradiographic and immunohistochemical analysis of 3H-melatonin distribution in endocrine and non-endocrine organs].

The comparison of the results of the autoradiographical and immunohistochemical study showed the discrepancy between the distribution of the radioactive label and the histotopographical localization of the melatonin-immunoreactive cells in the suprarenal glands, duodenum, pancreas and spleen after five minutes, one and three hours of the 3H-melatonin injection. It was shown that the exogenous 3H-melatonin is metabolizing rapidly and the products of its metabolism are spreading all over the organism. The exogenous 3H-melatonin may be accumulating in the separate endocrine and non-endocrine cells of the different organs. The results of this investigations open the perspectives for the future study on the behavior of the melatonin in the organism.