Intestinal production of melatonin and its putative role as a circadian organizer

Mar 6, 2026Chronobiology international

Melatonin made in the gut and its possible role in regulating the body’s daily rhythms

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Abstract

AANAT expression in the intestine of rats shows a clear circadian pattern, particularly in the proximal and distal regions.

  • Intestinal melatonin may play a role in local metabolic organization.
  • AANAT expression varies along the intestine, with rhythmic patterns observed in both the duodenum and colon.
  • Fasting abolishes the circadian variation in AANAT expression in the duodenum, suggesting it is not self-sustained.
  • The colon exhibits the highest AANAT expression with rhythmic activity; however, this rhythm is not synchronized to feeding.
  • Intestinal melatonin likely originates from different populations of secreting cells, none of which fulfill the criteria for a pacemaker in the Food-Entrainable Oscillator.

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