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A Model for the Study of the Acute Effects of Melatonin in Man^*

Departments of Psychiatry (R.J.S.) and Medicine (G.T.P.), University of New Mexico School of Medicine; the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico (C.R.Q.) Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
the Department of Psychiatry, Albuquerque Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of New Mexico School of Medicine (E.J.L.) Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Rick J. Strassman, Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, 2400 Tucker NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The role of the pineal hormone melatonin in human physiology is uncertain. Previous studies correlated plasma melatonin levels with several physiological parameters or determined the responses to pharmacological doses of melatonin during daylight hours. We established an acute model that is more rigorously physiological. Constant nocturnal bright light in sleep-deprived normal men resulted in low plasma melatonin levels throughout the night, in contrast to sleep in the dark and dim light sleep deprivation nights. Subsequently, melatonin was infused during bright light exposure to approximate physiological levels. Plasma GH and PRL measurements in these four conditions revealed an effect of sleep deprivation independent of the presence or absence of melatonin. A subsample of these men had an intermediate level of melatonin suppression with 500 lux light intensity, relative to those during sleep and bright light. The results suggest that melatonin has no acute modulatory effect on the secretion of these two sleep-related hormones.

^* This work was supported by PHSGCRC Grant and Clinical Associate Physician Award (to R.J.S.) RR-00997-10 and BRSG S07 RR-05583-22 awarded by the Biomedical Research Support Grant Program, Division of Research Resources, NIH, and administered by the Research Allocation Committee of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Received November 5, 1986.

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