STIMULATION OF THE SECRETION OF DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE BY MELATONIN IN MOUSE ADRENALS IN-VITRO

Adrenals of young adult male mice kept on a LD 12:12 lighting regimen for three weeks prior to study and harvested at four different circadi an stages were incubated for 2 hours with 0.4 IU synthetic ACTH in 2 m l Krebs-Ringer buffer (KR), or with 50, 150, and 450 mu moles of melat onin in KR containing 0.4 IU ACTH. The addition of melatonin to ACTH l eads to a dose dependent stimulation of production and/or secretion of DHEA into the incubation medium irrespective of the circadian stage o f harvesting of the adrenals. This relationship is of interest in view of the simultaneous decrease of dehydroepiandrosterone and melatonin in the course of aging, and the effects of these compounds upon aging related changes.