Niles L P, Brown G M, Grota L J
Neuroendocrinology. 1979;29(1):14-21. doi: 10.1159/000122900.
The effects of the pineal gland on diurnal endocrine function were studied in male rats. Pineal stimulation by exposure to short daily photoperiods (1L:23D) did not alter plasma levels of testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or growth hormone (GH) as compared with those of controls maintained under normal (12L:12D) lighting. Pinealectomy lowered diurnal testosterone levels and increased TSH levels in animals maintained under 1L:23D lighting. Pinealectomy also altered the TSH rhythm and shifted the peak in testosterone levels but did not abolish hormonal rhythms. Active immunization against melatonin and its precursor, N-acetylserotonin (NAS), significantly reduced diurnal androgen levels and elevated TSH levels in animals exposed to short photoperiods, but the 24-hour rhythms persisted. Plasma GH exhibited a diurnal rhythm in animals kept under short photoperiods but GH levels were not affected by any of the above treatments. These data suggest that melatonin and/or NAS may be involved in the maintenance of basal testosterone and TSH levels. The pineal may not be involved in generating hormonal rhythms; however, it may have a role in entraining TSH and testosterone rhythms to environmental lighting.
在雄性大鼠中研究了松果体对昼夜内分泌功能的影响。与在正常（12小时光照：12小时黑暗）光照条件下饲养的对照大鼠相比，每天暴露于短光照周期（1小时光照：23小时黑暗）刺激松果体，并不会改变睾酮、促甲状腺激素（TSH）或生长激素（GH）的血浆水平。松果体切除降低了在1小时光照：23小时黑暗光照条件下饲养动物的昼夜睾酮水平，并升高了TSH水平。松果体切除还改变了TSH节律，并使睾酮水平的峰值发生了偏移，但并未消除激素节律。对褪黑素及其前体N - 乙酰血清素（NAS）进行主动免疫，显著降低了暴露于短光照周期动物的昼夜雄激素水平，并升高了TSH水平，但24小时节律仍然存在。在短光照周期饲养的动物中，血浆GH呈现昼夜节律，但GH水平不受上述任何处理的影响。这些数据表明，褪黑素和/或NAS可能参与维持基础睾酮和TSH水平。松果体可能不参与激素节律的产生；然而，它可能在使TSH和睾酮节律与环境光照同步方面发挥作用。
