Regulation of Pineal Rhythms in Chickens: Effects of Blinding, Constant Light, Constant Dark, and Superior Cervical Ganglionectomy

Pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin content exhibit marked daily changes in chickens; peak values occur during the period of low locomotor activity which coincides with dark in a 24-hour light-dark cycle. The photic and neural regulation of these daily changes were studied by measuring pineal serotonin N-acetyl-transferase activity, hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) activity, and melatonin content in experiments in which chickens were subjected to light-dark cycles, constant light, and constant dark and were surgically blinded or superior cervical ganglionectomized. It was found that: 1) The daily changes in N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin content appear to persist in constant dark, and they disappear in constant light. 2) The eyes are not necessary for photic control of the daily changes, and the effect of constant light on N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin content may be non-visual, that is, the eyes not being necessary. 3) The occurrence of the daily change in N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin content does not require the superior cervical ganglia; the persistence of the changes in constant dark, however, may require the ganglia. 4) HIOMT activity was lower in constant light than in light-dark cycles and lower still in constant dark than in constant light. Neither the presence of the eyes nor the superior cervical ganglia affected HIOMT activity, as previously reported.