Delivery of pineal melatonin to the brain and SCN: role of canaliculi, cerebrospinal fluid, tanycytes and Virchow–Robin perivascular spaces

• Published in: Brain Structure and Function Vol. 219; no. 6; pp. 1873 - 1887
• Main Authors: Reiter, Russel J., Tan, Dun Xian, Kim, Seok Joong, Cruz, Maria Helena C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body fluids; Brain Chemistry; Cell Biology; Cellular biology; Circadian Rhythm; Ependymoglial Cells - physiology; Humans; Melatonin; Melatonin - cerebrospinal fluid; Melatonin - secretion; Neurology; Neurosciences; Pineal Gland - blood supply; Pineal Gland - secretion; Review; Subarachnoid Space - chemistry; Suprachiasmatic Nucleus - chemistry; Third Ventricle - chemistry; Suprachiasmatic nucleus; Virchow–Robin space; Melatonin; Oxidative damage; Pineal gland; Canaliculi; Cerebrospinal fluid; Tanycytes

Historically, the direct release of pineal melatonin into the capillary bed within the gland has been accepted as the primary route of secretion. Herein, we propose that the major route of melatonin delivery to the brain is after its direct release into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the third ven...