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Melatonin levels and depressive illness
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D71 CORRELATION OF SYRIAN HAMSTER SERUM TETRAIODOTHYRONINE (T ) AND TRIIODOTHYRONINE (T ) WITH TESTES WEIGHT IN A NATURAL WINTEd PHOTOPERIOD. G .M. Vauqhan: M .K. Vauqhan, R.J . Reiter, J. Lasko, S.H. Coqqins, L.G. Seraile, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center. Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, 78234; and Division of Mollecular and Structural Ejiolbgy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San
Antonio,
Texas,
78284
Compared to long photoperiod (L/D 14ilO h) inside the laboratory, a short photoperiod in laboratory [10/14) or outside (10.7/13.3~ conditions for 40 days resulted in reduction in testes weight, an effect mitigated by biweekly subcutaneous implantation of melatonin in beeswax pellets. Pineaiectomy also ameliorated testicular regression in the outside condition. The same patterns of change were exhibited by serum T4 concentration. Serum T was suppressed in the indoor, but not changed in the outdoor, short photopet- .a d, compared with T indoors in the long photoperiod. Melatonin pellets resulted in higher T that? in animals with blank pellets in either the inside or outside short pfiotoperiod. Though serum T was closely correlated positively with log testes weight throughout all experimintal conditions and procedures, analysis of covarlance showed that T was higher than could be accounted for by the testes weight in the outside sho ?t photoperiod. Thus, serum T concentration is affected differently from T and testes weight by some fa&or in the natural winter photoperiod not pre Y ent in the laboratory short photoperiod. This factor is probably exposure to cold (mean 9’C outside versus 22’C inside).
D72 MELATONIN LEVELS AND DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS S. Parvathi Devi ** and V. Srinivasan, **,
Psychiatry * and Physiology Madurai 625 020, India. Twenty four depressives
A.
Venkoba
Rao,
*
Institutes of **, Madurai Medical College,
diagnosed
and categorised
as 18 %‘endogenous” and
for urinary melatonin. Nocturnal and 24 hours’ melatonin excretion valut?s were obtained in their pre-treatment period, during therapy and following mood stabilisation. Controls suitably matched were studied. Lower than normal nocturnal melatonin values were noted as also decreased 24 hours’ melatonin excretion in the endogenous depressives before commencement of antiThe neurotic group manifested liigher than normal depressant therapy. During therapy a trend to a overnight and 24 hours’ urinary melatonin. resetting of the rhythm in melatonin levels towards normal ranges was observed in both groups, namely, a gradual rise in melatonin values in These observations the ‘iendogenous’t ones and a fall in the “neurotic”. are discussed in the context of their symptomatology. Pineal functioning in depressive illness is being interpreted. 6 “neurotic”
were the
subjects
of
investigation
D71 CORRELATION OF SYRIAN HAMSTER SERUM TETRAIODOTHYRONINE (T ) AND TRIIODOTHYRONINE (T ) WITH TESTES WEIGHT IN A NATURAL WINTEd PHOTOPERIOD. G .M. Vauqhan: M .K. Vauqhan, R.J . Reiter, J. Lasko, S.H. Coqqins, L.G. Seraile, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center. Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, 78234; and Division of Mollecular and Structural Ejiolbgy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San
Antonio,
Texas,
78284
Compared to long photoperiod (L/D 14ilO h) inside the laboratory, a short photoperiod in laboratory [10/14) or outside (10.7/13.3~ conditions for 40 days resulted in reduction in testes weight, an effect mitigated by biweekly subcutaneous implantation of melatonin in beeswax pellets. Pineaiectomy also ameliorated testicular regression in the outside condition. The same patterns of change were exhibited by serum T4 concentration. Serum T was suppressed in the indoor, but not changed in the outdoor, short photopet- .a d, compared with T indoors in the long photoperiod. Melatonin pellets resulted in higher T that? in animals with blank pellets in either the inside or outside short pfiotoperiod. Though serum T was closely correlated positively with log testes weight throughout all experimintal conditions and procedures, analysis of covarlance showed that T was higher than could be accounted for by the testes weight in the outside sho ?t photoperiod. Thus, serum T concentration is affected differently from T and testes weight by some fa&or in the natural winter photoperiod not pre Y ent in the laboratory short photoperiod. This factor is probably exposure to cold (mean 9’C outside versus 22’C inside).
D72 MELATONIN LEVELS AND DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS S. Parvathi Devi ** and V. Srinivasan, **,
Psychiatry * and Physiology Madurai 625 020, India. Twenty four depressives
A.
Venkoba
Rao,
*
Institutes of **, Madurai Medical College,
diagnosed
and categorised
as 18 %‘endogenous” and
for urinary melatonin. Nocturnal and 24 hours’ melatonin excretion valut?s were obtained in their pre-treatment period, during therapy and following mood stabilisation. Controls suitably matched were studied. Lower than normal nocturnal melatonin values were noted as also decreased 24 hours’ melatonin excretion in the endogenous depressives before commencement of antiThe neurotic group manifested liigher than normal depressant therapy. During therapy a trend to a overnight and 24 hours’ urinary melatonin. resetting of the rhythm in melatonin levels towards normal ranges was observed in both groups, namely, a gradual rise in melatonin values in These observations the ‘iendogenous’t ones and a fall in the “neurotic”. are discussed in the context of their symptomatology. Pineal functioning in depressive illness is being interpreted. 6 “neurotic”
were the
subjects
of
investigation