Reduction of the nocturnal rise in pineal melatonin levels in rats exposed to 60-Hz electric fields in utero and for 23 days after birth
Rats exposed to 60-Hz electric fields of either 10, 65, or 130 kV/m from conception to 23 days of age exhibited reduced peak nighttime pineal melatonin contents compared to unexposed controls. As a group, the exposed rats also exhibited a phase delay, estimated at approximately 1.4 hours, in the occurrence of the nocturnal melatonin peak. No clear dose-response relationship was noticed over the range of electric field strengths used as treatments in these experiments. These are the first studies concerned with the effects of electric field exposure on the pineal melatonin rhythm in immature rats. The findings are generally consistent with those obtained using adult rats, where electric field exposure has been shown to abolish the nighttime rhythm in pineal melatonin concentrations.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 7224983
- Journal Information:
- Life Sci.; (United States), Vol. 42:22
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ELECTRIC FIELDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
MELATONIN
BIOSYNTHESIS
DAILY VARIATIONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
PINEAL GLAND
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
RATS
AMINES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
AZOLES
BODY
GLANDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INDOLES
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PYRROLES
RODENTS
SYNTHESIS
TRYPTAMINES
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES
560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects