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Melatonin and the Vertebrate Circadian System: Pharmacological Effects

  • Chapter
The Pineal Gland and Its Hormones

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 277))

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Abstract

The effects of melatonin on the vertebrate circadian system can be studied with two questions in mind: first, to elucidate the physiological role of endogenous melatonin as a chemical messenger relaying information between postulated components of the circadian system (the retina, suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and pineal gland (Gwinner, 1978; Menaker, 1982), and secondly, to investigate the effects on this system of administering melatonin at pharmacological dose levels.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia

    Jennifer R. Redman

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  1. Jennifer R. Redman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Franco Fraschini  & Bojidar Stankov  & 

  2. University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    Russel J. Reiter

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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Redman, J.R. (1995). Melatonin and the Vertebrate Circadian System: Pharmacological Effects. In: Fraschini, F., Reiter, R.J., Stankov, B. (eds) The Pineal Gland and Its Hormones. NATO ASI Series, vol 277. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1911-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1911-9_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5781-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-1911-9

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