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Acute Pharmacology of Melatonin

Abstract

MELATONIN (N-acetyl-O-methyl serotonin), a pineal compound discovered by Lerner1, may function as a hormone and is known to be extremely active in certain biological systems2–5. We have investigated the acute pharmacological effects of the compound with particular emphasis on the nervous and vascular systems. We find that melatonin has no acute pharmacological effects in the systems studied apart from its effect on sleep mechanisms.

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BARCHAS, J., DACOSTA, F. & SPECTOR, S. Acute Pharmacology of Melatonin. Nature 214, 919–920 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/214919a0

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