# Electric studies of excitation, secretion & contraction

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $380,289

## Abstract

The pineal gland is an endocrine organ that is part of our circadian clock system in the brain.
Throughout the night, noradrenaline released locally by the sympathetic nervous system
stimulates the pineal to broadcast the night hormone, melatonin, to all of the body. We will study
the early second-messenger signaling within isolated pinealocytes in response to applied
norepinephrine, the longer term availability of adrenergic receptors during prolonged exposure
to norepinephrine, and, in pineal slices and whole pineal glands, the modulatory actions of
classical neurotransmitters on pinealocyte activity. We will determine the G-protein coupling of
melatonin receptors expressed in various expression systems. Finally we will test the
hypothesis that N-acetyl serotonin is a candidate for another night hormone in addition to
melatonin. Cells will be dissociated from rat pineal glands, placed in cell culture, treated with
norepinephrine to mimic night, and studied under the microscope with techniques such as
whole-cell gigaseal electrophysiological recording, live-cell photometry of calcium-sensitive dyes
and of indicators for second messengers, and HPLC-mass spectroscopy of the three
indoleamine hormones. Solvent extracts of whole pineal glands will be analyzed by HPLC-mass
spectroscopy for the phosphoinositides and other phospholipids of their membranes. Under-
standing the rhythmic secretory mechanisms of the pineal will make an important contribution
towards treating sleep disorders, seasonal affective responses to short days, and loss of
attention and productivity due to jet lag and shift work.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9896832
- **Project number:** 5R01GM083913-44
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** BERTIL HILLE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $380,289
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1977-09-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9896832

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9896832, Electric studies of excitation, secretion & contraction (5R01GM083913-44). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9896832. Licensed CC0.

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