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. 2018 Mar 20;23(3):703. doi: 10.3390/molecules23030703

Figure 1.

Figure 1

The effects of naturally seasonal alterations on the expression of melatonin synthetic genes, AANAT and ASMT, in the pineal gland and on melatonin production in hamsters. The animals were raised on the natural climate conditions (local environmental temperature, photoperiod and humidity) for one months and these animals were sacrificed at 9–10 pm on the days of winter solstice 2015 (WS-2015) or summer solstice 2016 (SS-2016), respectively. Pineal glands were collected for melatonin synthetic gene expression assay and serum was collected for melatonin assay. Animals were sacrificed under dim red light. The inserts were the images of Western Blots of the proteins of AANAT and ASMT, respectively. In panel B, the AANAT proteins of lines 1 and 2 were from the samples of WS-2015, line 3 and 4 were from SS-2016. In panel E, the ASMT proteins of lines 1 and 2 were from the samples of WS-2015, line 3 and 4 were from SS-2016. A and B: mRNA and protein levels of AANAT, respectively; C: Serum melatonin level; D, E and F: mRNA, protein levels and activity of ASMT, respectively. The data were expressed as means ± SDs of 16 hamsters each group. The gene expressions were normalized against housekeeping gene actin and the changes was analyzed with the 2−△△Ct method. * Significant difference vs. WS-2015.