Summary
Steroids (testosterone, oestrogen, progesterone, corticosterone, dexamethasone and deoxycorticosterone) were administered intramuscularly (0.1 mg · 100 g bw-1) on seven consecutive days to juvenile male soft-shelled turtles. Serotonin, norepinephrine and epinephrine contents of the pineal-paraphyseal complex were measured spectrofluorometrically 24 h after the last injection. Testosterone and oestrogen decreased serotonin, norepinephrine and epinephrine levels. Progesterone treatment resulted in an increase of serotonin level and a fall in norepinephrine and epinephrine levels. Corticosterone treatment caused an increase of serotonin level and a decrease of norepinephrine and epinephrine levels. Dexamethasone failed to alter serotonin content, increased norepinephrine and decreased epinephrine levels. Deoxycorticosterone decreased serotonin and elevated epinephrine content.
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Abbreviations
- 5-HIAA:
-
5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid
- 5-MTOH:
-
5-methoxytryptophol
- ANOVA:
-
analysis of variance; bw body weight
- COMT:
-
catecholamine-o-methyl transferase
- E:
-
epinephrine
- HIOMT:
-
hydroxyindole-o-methyl transferase
- MAO:
-
monoamine oxidase
- MS:
-
mean sum of squares
- NAT:
-
N-acetyltransferase
- NE:
-
norepinephrine
- SR:
-
synaptic ribbon
- SS:
-
sum of squares
- SV:
-
source of variation
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Mahata, M., Mahata, S.K. Effect of steroid hormones on serotonin, norepinephrine and epinephrine contents in the pineal-paraphyseal complex of the soft-shelled turtle (Lissemys punctata punctata). J Comp Physiol B 162, 520–525 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264812
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264812