Abstract
THE melanocyte-stimulating hormones and caffeine darken frog melanocytes by causing dispersion of melanin granules throughout the cell. While the end effect of these two substances on melanocyte opacity is the same, there are several differences in the way melanocyte-stimulating hormone and caffeine bring about dispersion. Lightening of melanocytes is produced by aggregation of melanin granules towards the centre of the cell. We found that triiodothyronine was an effective lightening agent of frog skin previously darkened by melanocyte-stimulating hormone but had no action on caffeine-treated skin. Because of this result we decided to test thyroxine and triiodothyroacetic acid for lightening properties.
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References
Shizume, K., Lerner, A. B., and Fitzpatrick, T. B., Endocrinol., 54, 553 (1954).
Money, W. L., Meltzer, R. I., Feldman, D., and Rawson, R. W., Endocrinol., 64, 123 (1959).
Wright, M. R., and Lerner, A. B., Endocrinology (in the press).
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WRIGHT, M., LERNER, A. Action of Thyroxine Analogues on Frog Melanocytes. Nature 185, 169–170 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/185169a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/185169a0
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