Abstract
Seasonal changes impact the melatonin production and immuno-activities in vertebrates. This is believed due to the photoperiodic alterations of the different seasons which impact the functions of pineal gland. The short photoperiod promotes pineal melatonin production. As a result, during the winter, animals have significantly higher levels of melatonin than in summer. However, the seasonal changes also include temperature changes. This factor has never been systemically investigated in animals. In the current study, we observed that increased temperature had limited influence on melatonin production. In contrast, cold temperature is the major factor to induce melatonin production in hamsters. Cold temperature per se can upregulate the expressions of melatonin synthetic gene AANAT and ASMT, which are the important enzymes for melatonin biosynthesis. The elevated melatonin levels induced by the cold exposure in hamster in turn, improve the immuno-responses of the animals with increased levels of IL1, 6, and 10 as well CD3. In addition, melatonin as a potent antioxidant and thermogenic agent would improve the survival chance of animals during cold weather.
Highlights
Melatonin is a signaling molecule to reflect environmental photoperiodic alterations in vertebrates [1] and in other low rank of organisms including zooplankton [2]
Light and photoperiod changes the influence of temperature, the cold temperature on melatonin production in animals are the major regulators of melatonin production in pineal gland of vertebrates [12]
The results showed that the serum melatonin levels of the animals animals were significantly significantly higher higher in in winter winter than than that that in in summer summer (Figure (Figure 1C)
Summary
Melatonin is a signaling molecule to reflect environmental photoperiodic alterations in vertebrates [1] and in other low rank of organisms including zooplankton [2]. Light and photoperiod changes the influence of temperature, the cold temperature on melatonin production in animals are the major regulators of melatonin production in pineal gland of vertebrates [12]. Temperature as an important factor of on themelatonin seasonalproduction changes in in animals addition to is the influence of temperature, the cold temperature the photoperiod should be given a consideration regarding its effects on melatonin synthesis is virtually unknown. The effects of are climate changes including photoperiod temperature on temperature melatonin production in hamster are systemically. Association on the influence of cold temperature on melatonin production and its association on immuno-responses in these animals are studied.
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