In two separate experiments, the gonadal response to melatonin treatment and exposure to continuous white light (LL) and different spectra of light (blue, green, yellow and red) was investigated in the Indian desert gerbil Meriones hurrianae. In experiment 1, exposure to green light for 8 weeks increased (p < 0.01) the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and sperm count, whereas exposure to red light decreased (p < 0.01) the GSI and sperm count. The response of accessory organs to the treatment varied. In experiment 2, exposure to LL for 5 weeks decreased the GSI and sperm count, and treatment with melatonin (in the late-light period) not only increased the GSI and sperm count, but also counteracted the inhibitory action of LL and red light. Melatonin treatment stimulated accessory sex organs and the scent gland surface area. The inhibition or stimulation of the reproductive parameters correlated with an increase or decrease in pinealocytes and pinealocyte nuclear diameters. Therefore, the influence of light and its spectra on reproduction may be mediated by the pineal gland, though extrapineal mechanisms cannot be ruled out.

Keywords:
Indian desert gerbil, Light spectra, Melatonin, Male sexual organs
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1998
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