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Melatonin administered during the fetal stage affects circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus but not in the liver
Fetal Melatonin Influences the Body’s Main Circadian Clock but Not the Liver’s Clock
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Abstract
Pharmacological doses of melatonin affect the fetal clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of 1-day-old pups born to pregnant rats exposed to constant light.
- Pregnant rats were exposed to constant light to suppress melatonin and behavioral rhythms.
- No gene expression rhythms were detected in the SCN of untreated pregnant rats or in their pups.
- Melatonin administration during pregnancy entrained the gene expression profiles in the SCN of pups.
- Vehicle injections also synchronized gene expression in the SCN, but not in the liver.
- The effects of melatonin and vehicle treatments on gene expression profiles occurred at different phases.
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