Antiepileptic effects of melatonin in the pinealectomized Mongolian gerbil.

Pinealectomy of the Mongolian gerbil leads to seizure activity. The pineal gland is a major source of malatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) which may possess a modulatory influence upon neural activity. Melatonin administered in the form of subcutaneous beeswax implants was given to gerbils four days prior to pinealectomy or sham pinealectomy. Beeswax pellets were implanted as the vehicle agent in respective groups. Melatonin-treated pinealectomized animals exhibited fewer seizures than did pinealectomized animals that did not receive melatonin. The results indicate that melatonin has an ameliorative effect upon pinealectomy-induced seizures, but the mechanism by which pinealectomy induced the seizures, and the etiology in which melatonin reduces the seizure activity is unknown.