Summary. The influence of three pterin derivatives on the diurnal fluctuations of HIOMT (hydroxyindole-0-methyl transferase) activity was studied in the isolated pineal glands of 42-day old male Wistar rats during the month of October. It may be concluded that reduced neopterin and pterin-6-aldehyde influenced the activity and the circadian rhythmicity of 5-methoxyindole synthesis.Those alterations might be important in the regulation of reproduction.Introduction.
SummaryThe pineals of 28 days old male Wistar rats, in December periodically exposed to either white or green light, were incubated with pterin-6-aldehyde or reduced neopterin. In white light the rhythm of synthesis of 5-methoxytryptophan and of 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid was clearly influenced by the pteridines mentioned. In green light a change in rhythmicity of 5-methoxytryptophan, 5-methoxytryptamine and of melatonin/5-methoxytryptophol synthesis by the pteridines was observed.In white light both pteridines increased 5-methoxytryptophan and decreased 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid synthesis. Reduced neopterin stimulated 5-methoxytryptamine synthesis and inhibited melatonin/5-methoxytryptophol synthesis. Pterin-6-aldehyde showed an opposite effect.In green light both pteridines decreased 5-methoxytryptophan synthesis, but increased 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid and 5-methoxytryptamine synthesis. Melatonin/5-methoxytryptophol synthesis was decreased by reduced neopterin and increased by pterin-6-aldehyde.The results suggest an indolic metabolic pathway leading from 5-methoxytryptophan via 5-methoxytryptamine to melatonin, while pteridines and light of different wave lengths are correlated in regulating indole metabolism.
Fractions from bovine retinas and sheep pineals of low molecular weight decrease the activity of purified hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT). The antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine and haloperidol show a similar effect under the same experimental conditions. It is suggested that they may imitate the effect of (an) unknown natural suppressor(s) of HIOMT-activity, present in retina and pineal, decreasing the biosynthesis of methoxyindoles.
A high molecular weight fraction XM100R (MW A 100,000) was prepared by ultrafiltration from ovine pineals using two different extraction methods under red light conditions (lambda greater than 600 nm). This fraction stimulates the release of radioimmunologically active luteinizing hormone (LH) of anterior pituitaries in vitro. The ultrafiltration fraction PM30R (MW greater than 30,000 and less than 100,000) was found to be radioimmunologically active only when the "Bensinger" extraction procedure was applied. However, when comparable fractions were prepared under green light and incubated with half-pituitaries, all the incubation media of the ultrafiltrated fractions, XM100R, PM30R, PM10R (MW greater than 10,000 and less than 30,000) UM2R (MW greater than 1000 and less than 10,000), UM05R (MW greater than 500 and less than 1000) and UM05F (MW greater than 500), reacted with anti-LH. This may mean that under green light conditions the high molecular weight ovine pineal compounds in XM100R are disintegrated and/or split up into small molecules which can stimulate the release of LH, or crossreact with the anti-LH serum.
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