A neuroendocrine releasing effect of melatonin in the brain of an insect, Periplaneta americana (L.)

Melatonin exists in nearly all organisms, but little is known of its function in non‐vertebrates. Long‐term perifusions as well as short‐term batch incubations of brains and molting glands of the cockroach Periplaneta americana were used to test the influence of melatonin on the prothoracicotropic h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pineal research 2000-04, Vol.28 (3), p.129-135
Main Authors: Richter, Klaus, Peschke, Elmar, Peschke, Dorothee
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - drug effects
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
ecdysone
Ecdysterone - metabolism
Endocrine Glands - drug effects
Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Insect Hormones - metabolism
Invertebrates
luzindole
melatonin
Melatonin - pharmacology
Mollusca
neuropeptides
Neuropeptides - metabolism
Periplaneta
Periplaneta americana
Physiology. Development
prothoracicotropic hormone
Radioimmunoassay
serotonin
Serotonin - pharmacology
Tryptamines - pharmacology
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Summary:Melatonin exists in nearly all organisms, but little is known of its function in non‐vertebrates. Long‐term perifusions as well as short‐term batch incubations of brains and molting glands of the cockroach Periplaneta americana were used to test the influence of melatonin on the prothoracicotropic hormone, a glandotropic neuropeptide in the brain, which stimulates the production of the molting hormone ecdysone in the molting gland. Changes of ecdysteroid production in molting glands were determined by radioimmunoassay as ecdysone equivalents. Melatonin (10 nmol/L) was without effect on the prothoracic gland but stimulated the prothoracicotropic effect of brains in both in vitro investigations, long‐term perifusions and short‐term batch incubations. The effect was dose‐dependent. The melatonin effect on the release of prothoracicotropic hormone in the brain was suppressed by luzindole (10 nmol/L), a pre‐synaptic receptor antagonist of melatonin. The retro‐cerebral complex (corpora cardiaca‐corpora allata) did not seem to be involved in the effect of melatonin on the brain. Serotonin (10 nmol/L) suppressed the release of prothoracicotropic hormone. This is the first experimental evidence of a neurohormonal releasing effect of melatonin in the insect nervous system.
ISSN:0742-3098
1600-079X
DOI:10.1034/j.1600-079X.2001.280301.x