Summary
The effect was studied of a number of synthetic indoleamines, pteridines,β-carbolines, of AVT and of crude extracts from rat and ovine pineal glands on human melanoma cellsin vitro. The identified pineal substances as well as some of their analogues showed an inhibitory effect only at non-physiologically high concentrations. However, crude pineal extracts were more active than the synthetic pineal substances tested. They contain a compound which may have a tumor-inhibiting potency comparable to that of methotrexate but a different mechanism of action.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Airaksinen MM, Kari I (1981 a)β-Carbolines, psychoactive compounds in the mammalian body. Part I: Occurrence, origin and metabolism. Med Biol 59: 21–34
Airaksinen MM, Kari I (1981 b)β-Carbolines, psychoactive compounds in the mammalian body. Part II: Effects. Med Biol 59: 190–211
Bartsch H, Bartsch C (1981) Effect of melatonin on experimental tumors under different photoperiods and time of administration. J Neural Transm 52: 269–279
Bartsch H, Bartsch C, Flehmig B (1986) Differential effect of melatonin on slow and fast growing passages of a human melanoma cell line. Neuroendocrinol Lett 8: 289–293
Bindoni M, Jutisz M, Ribot G (1976) Characterization and partial purification of a substance in the pineal gland which inhibits cell multiplicationin vitro. Biochim Biophys Acta 437: 577–588
Dilman VM, Anisimov VN, Ostroumova MN, Morozova VG, Khavinson VK, Azarova MA (1979) Study of anti-tumor effect of polypeptide pineal extract. Oncology 36: 274–280
Duportail G (1981) Linear and circular dichroism of harmine and harmaline interacting with DNA. Int J Biol Macromol 3: 188–192
Ebels I, Balemans MGM, van Benthem J, Noteborn HPJM, de Morée A (1983) Pteridines in the pineal and effects of these substances on the indole metabolism of this organ. In: Axelrod J, Fraschini F, Velo GP (eds) The pineal gland and its endocrine role. Plenum Press, New York, pp 151–178
Engel P, Bergmann W (1952) Die physiologische Funktion der Zirbeldrüse und ihre therapeutische Anwendung. Z Vitamin Hormon Fermentforsch 4: 564–594
Goldman B, Hall V, Hollister C, Roychoudbhury P, Tamarkin L, Westrom W (1979) Effects of melatonin on the reproductive system in intact and pinealectomized male hamsters maintained under various photoperiods. Endocrinology 104: 82–88
Jutisz M, Bindoni M, Ribot G, Stanzani S (1974) Mise en évidence dans l'hypothalamus et purification partielle d'une substance qui inhibein vitro la multiplication cellulaire. C R Acad Sci [D] 279: 1591–1594
Kapatos G, Kaufmann S, Weller JL, Klein DC (1982) Development and regulation of biopterin in the pineal gland of the rat. In: Klein DC (ed) Melatonin rhythm generating system. Karger, Basel, pp 108–123
Kari I (1981 a) 6-Methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline in pineal gland of chicken and cock. FEBS Lett 127: 277–280
Kari I (1981 b) Mass spectrometric identification of 6-methoxy-1,2,3,4tetrahydro-β-carboline in pineal gland. In:β-Carbolines in human and animal tissues: an analytical and pharmacological study. Dissertation, University of Kuopio, Finland
Kokolis N, Mylonas N, Ziegler I (1972) Pteridine and riboflavin in tumor tissue and the effect of chloramphenicol and isoxanthopterin. Z Naturforsch 27 b: 292–295
Lapin V, Ebels I (1976) Effect of some low molecular weight sheep pineal fractions and melatonin on different tumors in rats and mice. Oncology 33: 110–113
Lea TJ, Ashley CC (1981) Harmaline distribution in single muscle fibres and the inhibition of sodium efflux. Biochim Biophys Acta 664: 74–81
Lerner AB, Case JD, Takahashi Y, Lee TH, Mori W (1958) Isolation of melatonin, the pineal factor that lightens melanocytes. J Am Chem Soc 80: 2587
McIsaac WM, Khairallah PA, Page IH (1961) 10-Methoxyharmalan, a potent serotonin antagonist which affects conditioned behaviour. Science 134: 674–675
Nieuwenhuis JJ (1984) Minireview: arginine-vasotocin (AVT), an alleged hormone of the mammalian pineal gland. Life Sci 35: 1713–1724
Noteborn HPJM (1986) Investigations on peptides and proteins of the mammalian pineal gland. Thesis, University of Utrecht
Pettit GR, Houghton LE, Rogers NH, Coomes RM, Berger DF, Reucroft PR, Day JF, Hartwell JL, Wood Jr HB (1972) Butterfly wing antineoplastic agents. Experientia 28: 381–382
Quay WB (1974) Indoleamines. In: Quay WB (ed) Pineal chemistry. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL, p 150
Reiter RJ, Richardson BA, King TS (1983) The pineal gland and its indole products: their importance in the control of reproduction in mammals. In: Reiter RJ (ed) The pineal gland. Elsevier, New York, pp 151–199
Rokos H, Rokos K, Frisius H, Kirstaedter H-J (1980) Altered urinary excretion of pteridines in neoplastic disease. Determination of biopterin, neopterin, xanthopterin, and pterin. Clinica Chim Acta 105: 275–286
Shah PN, Mhatre MC, Kothari LS (1984) Effect of melatonin on mammary carcinogenesis in intact and pinealectomized rats in varying photoperiods. Cancer Res 44: 3403–3407
Slama-Scemama A, Noteborn HPJM, de Morée A, Korte-Kool GM, Leblanc P, Gogan F, L'Héritier A, Ebels I (1985) The effect of ovine pineal compounds prepared under red or green light on the activity of male rat anterior pituitariesin vitro. J Neural Transm 62: 155–167
van der Have-Kirchberg MLL, de Morée A, van Laar JF, Gerwig GJ, Versluis C, Ebels I, Hus-Citharel A, L'Héritier A, Roseau S, Zurburg W, Moszkowska A (1977) Separation of pineal extracts by gel-filtration. VI. Isolation and identification from sheep pineals of biopterin; comparison of the isolated compound with some synthetic pteridines and the biological activityin vitro andin vivo bioassays. J Neural Transm 40: 205–220
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Research scholars of the Society of Servants of God, New Delhi, India, working in the Cancer Research Programme of the Society.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bartsch, H., Bartsch, C., Noteborn, H.P.J.M. et al. Growth-inhibiting effect of crude pineal extracts on human melanoma cellsin vitro is different from that of known synthetic pineal substances. J. Neural Transmission 69, 299–311 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01244350
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01244350