Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Basic aspects of melatonin action.

D P Cardinali1, P Pévet

  • 1Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. cardinal@mail.retina.ar

Sleep Medicine Reviews
|August 18, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Central gabaergic mechanisms as targets for melatonin activity in brain.

Neurochemistry international·2010
Same author

Melatonin reverses pinealectomy-induced decrease of benzodiazepine binding in rat cerebral cortex.

Neurochemistry international·2010
Same author

Neurotransmitter-controlled steroid hormone receptors in the central nervous system.

Neurochemistry international·2010
Same author

Time-Dependent Effect of Melatonin on Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Activity and CI Influx in Rat Hypothalamus.

Journal of neuroendocrinology·2009
Same author

Possible therapeutic value of melatonin in mild cognitive impairment: a retrospective study.

Journal of pineal research·2007
Same author

Melatonin treatment improves the antioxidant status and decreases lipid content in brain and liver of rats.

European journal of pharmacology·2007
Same journal

The misclassification of periodic limb movement disorder: A systematic review applying research diagnostic criteria.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026
Same journal

Letter to the editor: Attrition as a proxy for acceptability in digital CBTi: Conceptual limitations and methodological priorities.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026
Same journal

Association of media use with sleep of children and adolescents: an umbrella review.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026
Same journal

Beyond respiratory control in COMISA: Towards precision phenotyping in PAP-based therapies.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026
Same journal

The potential of clustering methods for pre-test triage in sleep medicine: A systematic review.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026
Same journal

Assessing the effects of non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation (tACS and tDCS) on electrophysiological sleep parameters - a systematic review.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026
See all related articles

Melatonin, a hormone tied to the sleep-wake cycle, is secreted by the circadian clock during darkness. Its secretion duration signals night length, influencing bodily functions and circadian rhythms.

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Melatonin synthesis and secretion occur during the dark phase of the light-dark cycle.
  • Nocturnal melatonin secretion is regulated by the mammalian circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN).
  • Melatonin's rhythmic secretion acts as a circadian mediator, influencing various physiological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of melatonin in circadian and photoperiodic responses.
  • To discuss proposed mechanisms of melatonin action, including the duration and coincidence hypotheses.
  • To examine melatonin's function as a signal from the circadian clock, using immune defense organization as an example.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on melatonin synthesis, secretion, and action.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Discussion of experimental evidence supporting different hypotheses of melatonin function.
  • Analysis of melatonin's potential molecular targets and physiological effects.

    • Main Results:

    • Melatonin secretion duration is proportional to night length, critical for photoperiodic signaling.
    • Two primary hypotheses, duration and coincidence, attempt to explain melatonin's action on circadian rhythms.
    • Melatonin's precise sites and mechanisms of action are still under investigation, though membrane receptor sites are established.

    Conclusions:

    • Melatonin functions as a key output signal of the circadian clock, conveying time-related information.
    • Its lipophilic nature suggests potential intracellular and nuclear interactions beyond membrane receptors.
    • Further research is needed to fully elucidate melatonin's diverse roles, including its antioxidant effects and influence on organismal defense.