[Biologically active thymic factors and melatonin-producing pineal function in mice in aging].
Labunets'. I F IF
Key Findings
- One dose of thymalin raised melatonin in adult (3‑4 month) mice within 3 hours.
- The melatonin boost was linked to higher levels of a thymic serum factor (FTS) and varied with the season.
- Old mice (23‑24 months) showed no melatonin response to thymalin, either in the body or in isolated pineal tissue.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, thymalin might be explored as a short‑term way to increase melatonin in younger adults, potentially supporting sleep or immune rhythm. However, the effect is modest, season‑dependent, and absent in older individuals, and the study provides no human dosing guidance, so any protocol would be experimental.
Summary
In adult mice, a single injection of the thymic peptide thymalin caused a quick rise in blood melatonin levels, but this effect depended on the season and didn't happen in older mice. The study suggests thymalin can stimulate the pineal gland in young adults, but its benefits fade with age.
Abstract
The aging peculiarities of thymic factors influence on pineal gland function in CBA mice were investigated. It was shown that in serum of the adult mice (3-4 m) melatonin level increased significantly in 3 h after one injection of thymic preparation "thymaline". The activating influence ofthymaline depended on season and linked with increased level of thymic serum factor (FTS). Thymic stroma supernatant of adult mice with high FTS level increased melatonin-producing pineal function in vitro. There was no activating influence of thymic factors on pineal function of old mice (23-24 mo) in vivo and in vitro as well as the pineal seasonal reaction on the administration of thymaline. The importance of thymic factors influence on melatonine level for the immune system rhythmic functioning was discussed.
Study Information
pubmed
2006