From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-08-02 22:32:29 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Melatonin usage
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3113564.1091485949189.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
> Very good article, now , a question. If one were to give their ferret ,
> before signs of adrenal, could it MAYBE prevent them from getting it all
> together?
It might.
As it says in the article:
>HOW CAN MELATONIN PREVENT ADRENAL DISEASE?
> Any endocrine tissue which is constantly stimulated over a long period of time >becomes hyperplastic, and the more cell cycles and stimulation, the greater the >chance for neoplasia. This is particularly true with organs that secrete hormones, >such as the adrenal glands.
> Although there have been no controlled studies to prove this theory, by giving >melatonin before a ferret a ferret develops adrenal disease, we may be able to >prevent the constant stimulation of the adrenal glands. This may prevent the >glands from becoming hyperplastic or neoplastic.
Remember that adrenal tissue is among the multiple body tissues which can produce sex hormones. It sometimes surprises people that tissues like adrenals, fat cells, and others which are not reproductive tissues do produce sex hormones, but remember that in lower levels these hormones are used for many functions. There are actually hundreds of uses, including maintaining reasonable brain function, which lower-than-reproductive-levels amount of the estrogens are used for by both genders, and at least dozens found so far for the androgens including muscle formation and maintenance. Also, bodies can change estrogens to androgens and visa versa, so, yes, men have estrogens and women have androgens.
When an organ is caused to go through repeated or constant irritation or repeated or constant stimulation that increases the formation of growths.
When a ferret is exposed to too much light the natural melatoniin production decreases and that allows the pituitary products like luteinizing hormone which stimulate the adrenals to be produced in great enough quantity that they provide what may be too much or too relentless stimulation of the adrenal glands.
For over 15 years (20 now?) there have been studies of melatonin in humans and in rodents ever since it was first noticed in one of the Scandinavian countries (Sorry, can't recall which one had the original research.) that people with certain forms of blindness have markedly reduced rates of a number of hormonal malignancies and growths. Because the body produces melatonin in response to darkness melatonin came under study.
I think that it was before then that melatonin was first looked at in relation to estrus in members of mustelidae.
About the same time as some of the human-need-for-darkness-and-melatonin work was going on, some vets noticed that ferrets who had enough complete darkness appeared to be less prone to developing adrenal disease, as well as the earlier noticed effect that going into heat or into rut could be postponed or stopped with 14 or so hours of complete darkness in each 24 hours. (BTW, those who want to have later altering or late spaying can allow the ferret to reach an older age if enough complete darkness is provided.)
Another way to get melatonin is to eat it. It may not be as efficient and it may be that too much light might reduce the effect, anyway, but it should be better than not giving it if enough hours (14 or so hours in each 24 hour period) of complete darkness can't be provided.
Notice that the studies discuss the importance of COMPLETE darkness. This is one traditional major difference (until very recently) between ferrets in the U.S. and ones in Europe. Ours in the U.S. have been more likley to be inside whereas European ferrets have had a lot more darkness available to them.
Also notice that the use of nightlights and appliance functioning lights has greatly increased over the last dozen years plus. Those lights are on almost everything and many of them are in exactly the worst wavelengths for decreasing melatonin production by the pineal gland: blue or green.
So, darkness -- real darkness not just dimmness -- and melatonin might have preventative effects.
Remember that ferrets are descended from animals for whom a LOT of darkness was the norm. They had crepuscular activity which means they were most active in the low light levels of dawn and dusk and they lived in very, very dark burrows. So, an amount of light which may not have a negative effect on humans, or which may have a slow negative effect may be much more of a concern for them if this is indeed what is occuring in the ferrrets.