Morton D J
J Pineal Res. 1987;4(1):7-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1987.tb00836.x.
Pineal glands were incubated in the presence of [3H] methoxytryptophan with and without methoxamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. The beta-adrenoceptor-stimulated pineal glands were capable of converting methoxytryptophan to methoxytryptamine, melatonin, methoxyindole acetic acid, and methoxytryptophol, albeit in small quantities. Only methoxyindole acetic acid was detectable after incubation of unstimulated and alpha-adrenergic-agonist-treated pineal glands. These results support the proposal that melatonin can be formed from methoxytryptophan although this is a minor synthetic pathway, and the classic pathway from serotonin via N-acetylserotonin should be considered to be responsible for the majority of pineal melatonin production.
松果体在有和没有甲氧明、肾上腺素和去甲肾上腺素存在的情况下，与[3H]甲氧基色氨酸一起孵育。β-肾上腺素受体刺激的松果体能够将甲氧基色氨酸转化为甲氧基色胺、褪黑素、甲氧基吲哚乙酸和甲氧基色醇，尽管量很少。未刺激和用α-肾上腺素能激动剂处理的松果体孵育后，仅可检测到甲氧基吲哚乙酸。这些结果支持了褪黑素可由甲氧基色氨酸形成这一观点，尽管这是一条次要的合成途径，而经由N-乙酰血清素从血清素生成褪黑素的经典途径应被视为松果体褪黑素产生的主要原因。
