Rapid melatonin transients.

Abstract

Two normal male subjects exhibited rapid pulses of melatonin concentration in plasma, apparently unrelated to stages of sleep and undisturbed with spontaneous waking during the night. Pulse intervals of approximately 8 and 12 min., respectively, for subjects 1 and 2, were associated with excursions of 35% and 33% of the nadir or 28% and 26% of the mean value. The pulses were detected with a 2.5 min. sampling interval.