Melatonin responses to clonidine and yohimbine challenges.

Melatonin (MT) release from the pineal gland has been used as a marker for central noradrenergic function in major depression. Norepinephrine acts at both alpha and beta adrenergic receptors on the pinealocyte membrane to mediate nocturnal MT release, but in humans the contribution of each receptor class is unclear. In order to explore the effect of alpha 2 receptors on MT release, 10 female subjects were given oral challenges, in separate …