Diurnal changes in pineal extracellular indoles of freely moving rats.

We observed 24 h changes of 'extracellular' indoleamines in pineal microdialysates taken from freely moving rats under a 12 h light/12 h dark cycle. Pineal indoleamines in microdialysates were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Consequently, they exhibited marked diurnal variations. The diurnal level in the extracellular 5-HT, higher for the light and lower for the dark, was parallel to that in 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and diametrically opposite to that in N-acetylserotonin (NAS). The release of 5-HT into the extracellular space transiently increased for the first 2 h after the dark onset and then became lower during the dark.