Melatonin modulates diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid metabolism in the anterior pituitary of immature rats.

In pituitary glands of immature rats prelabeled in vitro with [3H]arachidonic acid, melatonin diminished the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-induced increase in [3H]diacylglycerol accumulation as well as [3H]arachidonic acid release from the tissue. Melatonin reduced also LHRH-stimulated incorporation of [3H]glycerol into pituitary [3H]diacylglycerol. The effect was day-time dependent: in the evening experiment melatonin was effective at 0.1 nM concentration while in the morning it had no effect even at 10 nM concentration. The effect of melatonin was also abolished by pretreatment with pertussis toxin. Diacylglycerol and/or arachidonic acid might serve as 2nd messengers transducing the effect of melatonin at the cellular level.