Physiological Effects of Rhythmic Melatonin on Peripheral Cells in a Superfusion System
Abstract
The immediate effects of melatonin from the pineal gland on peripheral cell types such
as astrocytes, hepatocytes, and cardiac myocytes are relatively unknown. My research
includes designing a superfusion or flow-through system that constantly pumps medium
to light-entrained, chick pineal cells. The medium from the pinealocytes, enriched with
pineal-specific secretions, will be directed to the above target cells, which are
simultaneously housed in constant darkness. Radioimmunoassay for pineal melatonin
and ELISA on the target cells’ secretions examines the effects of melatonin ex-vivo.
This study will shed light on the direct effects of pineal melatonin on the central nervous system and peripheral organ cell types.
Subject
melatoninpinealocytes
astrocytes
flow-through system
superfusion
flowthrough system
cell flow through
cell flow-through
cell flowthrough
cell system
Citation
Tran, Diana (2007). Physiological Effects of Rhythmic Melatonin on Peripheral Cells in a Superfusion System. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /5717.