Carter S J, Laud C A, Smith I, Leone R M, Hooper R J, Silman R E, Finnie M D, Mullen P E, Larson-Carter D L
J Endocrinol. 1979 Oct;83(1):35-40.
5-Methoxytryptophol, a serotonin metabolite, was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in pineal glands, plasma and control tissues (cerebral cortex and salivary glands) from male rats kept in a controlled lighting environment. In the pineal gland the level of 5-methoxytryptophol was significantly higher during the dark period than during the light, the absolute levels being an order of magnitude less than those of melatonin. In the plasma, the levels showed a reverse situation with respect to lighting conditions. No correlation was found between the 5-methoxytryptophol levels in plasma and the pineal gland in individual animals. These results suggest that there is no obvious correlation between pineal content and pineal activity. This may be due to a combination of rapid turnover, secretion and/or peripheral conversion of another 5-methoxyindole to 5-methoxytryptophol.
采用气相色谱-质谱联用技术，对处于可控光照环境下的雄性大鼠的松果体、血浆及对照组织（大脑皮层和唾液腺）中的5-甲氧基色醇（一种血清素代谢产物）进行了测定。在松果体中，5-甲氧基色醇的水平在黑暗期显著高于光照期，其绝对水平比褪黑素低一个数量级。在血浆中，其水平呈现出与光照条件相反的情况。在个体动物中，血浆和松果体中的5-甲氧基色醇水平之间未发现相关性。这些结果表明，松果体含量与松果体活性之间没有明显的相关性。这可能是由于5-甲氧基色醇的快速周转、分泌和/或另一种5-甲氧基吲哚向5-甲氧基色醇的外周转化共同作用的结果。
