Introduction: Previous in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that melatonin changes vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) secretion from the rat neurohypophysis. Additionally, melatonin is known to inhibit the forskolin-induced (forskolin is a strong adenylyl cyclase - AC activator) increase in cAMP accumulation in the rat pituitary. To determine whether the possible response of vasopressinergic and/or oxytocinergic neurones to melatonin could be mediated through a cAMP-dependent mechanism, the effect of different concentrations of melatonin (i.e. 10-11, 10-9, 10-7, 10-5 and 10-3 M) on forskolin-stimulated AVP and OT release from the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial (H-NH) system was studied in vitro.

Material and methods: Male rats served as donors of the H-NH explants, which were placed in 1 mLof normal Krebs-Ringer fluid (nKRF), heated to 37oC and constantly gassed with carbogen (95% O2 and 5% CO2). The H-NH explants were incubated successively in nKRF {fluid B1} and incubation fluid as B1 enriched with an appropriate concentration of melatonin, i.e. 10-11 – 10-3 M and/or forskolin (at a concentration of 10-5 M) or their vehicles (0.1% ethanol or DMSO) {fluid B2}. After 20 min incubation in fluid B1 and next B2, the media were collected and immediately frozen before AVP and OT estimation by the RIA. The AVP and OT secretion was determined by using B2/B1 ratio for each H-NH explant.

Results: We have demonstrated that the highly effective AC activator — forskolin significantly stimulated both AVP and OT release from isolated rat H-NH system. Such an effect of forskolin was reduced by melatonin at concentrations of 10-9, 10-7 and 10-5 M. The strongest effect was exerted by this hormone at a concentration of 10-7 M, which inhibited not only forskolin-stimulated, but also basal, AVP and OT release. On the contrary, the highest studied concentration (i.e. 10-3 M) of melatonin stimulated both AVP and OT basal release, but when forskolin was present in the medium melatonin at such a concentration remained inactive in modifying these hormones release from the H-NH system in vitro.

Conclusions: Our present results demonstrate that in the male rat: 1. The influence of melatonin on the vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic neurones activity is mediated partly through a cAMP-dependent mechanism. 2. The effect of melatonin in this respect depends on its concentration. (Endokrynol Pol 2014; 65 (2): 125–131)