It has been hypothesized that pineal structure and function might differ between temperate zone and tropical species of mammals because of lower amplitudes of seasonal change in photoperiod and, in some areas, less seasonal climatic variation. Anoura geoffroyi produce a single offspring in November or December of each year on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, at 10 degrees N latitude in the deep tropics. Previous work has shown that this population lacks reproductive responses to photoperiod, and must be enforcing seasonal breeding using a non-photoperiodic cue. Anoura geoffroyi have a minute, thin, and rod-like pineal gland. Throughout much of its length, the pineal courses irregularly within the ventrolateral wall of the great cerebral vein. This intimate relationship may have functional implications. Despite having a very small pineal gland, this species produced a nocturnal rise in serum melatonin. Serum melatonin levels in most individuals were below or near undetectable levels during the light period and rose to a peak averaging 100 pg/ml in the last third of the dark period. Our results indicate that, although the pineal gland of A. geoffroyi is extremely small, serum melatonin levels are comparable to those of other mammals.

The pineal pigmentation in the big brown bat appears to intensify with constant darkness and may vary seasonally. The observation of macroscopically pigmented pineals in some other bats (Myotis lucifugus, Pipistrellus subflavus, and Lasiurus borealis) suggests that this phenomenon may be of taxonomic value for the family Vespertilionidae (Order Chiroptera).

The presence of receptors for epidermal growth factor (EGF) in nonpregnant uteri and the elevation of EGF levels in blood during early pregnancy suggest that EGF and its receptor may play important roles in the early stages of pregnancy. We determined the distribution of EGF receptors in uteri of nonpregnant and pregnant mice during the late preimplantation period (days 4.5-5.0 of pregnancy) using radioautograph and quantitative binding techniques. Radioautography of [125I]EGF binding to cornua from nonpregnant mice showed low levels of specific binding evenly distributed throughout the cornua. In contrast, radioautographs of cornua from pregnant mice showed bands of elevated binding encircling the lumen at sites of preimplantation. Results from radioautography were supported by quantitative analysis of [125I]EGF binding to uterine homogenates from nonpregnant and pregnant mice. Binding of [125I]EGF to uterine membranes was highly specific and time dependent. The average level of specific EGF binding calculated from Scatchard plots of nonpregnant uteri (27 +/- 13 fmol/mg protein) was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than that in pregnant superovulated uteri (106 +/- 67 fmol/mg protein). Furthermore, specific binding of EGF was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher in preimplantation sites than in the intervening nonimplantation regions from the same uteri (42 +/- 6 vs. 29 +/- 4 fmol/mg protein, respectively). Differences in EGF binding appear to be due to changes in the number of EGF receptors, since half-displacement values (1 nM) were similar in all samples. These results demonstrate that alterations of EGF receptor levels occur at sites where implantation will occur in mouse uteri and support the concept that the transforming growth factor-alpha/EGF receptor and its ligands are involved in implantation of concepti.

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