High-affinity binding sites for melatonin in hamster spleen

Recent reports that the pineal gland hormone, melatonin, influences immune function in mammals, prompted an examination of the binding sites for this hormone in lymphoid tissue. Binding studies utilized the specific melatonin receptor probe, 2-[¹²⁵I]iodomelatonin ([¹²⁵I]MEL), and splenic homogenates from male Syrian hamsters. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding data indicated the presence of a high-affinity site with a dissociation …