Abstract

Previous experiments have demonstrated that short light pulses during the night suppress pineal melatonin formation almost completely for the remainder of the night. Here, the effects of a single 1 min light pulse during the night on melatonin synthesis during the following night was investigated in Djungarian hamsters ( Phodopus sungorus). It is shown that the melatonin pattern during the consecutive night is suppressed to a greater extent than that caused by acute light exposure, indicating a very effective light memory of the melatonin-generating neuronal network, possibly a key to understanding the reliability of the photoperiod-measuring system.

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