| Abstract: | The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of different lighting conditions during lactation on the functioning of the circadian pacemaker in the adult rat in absence of the retinal input. We reared one group of rats under constant light (LL-rats) and the other under constant darkness (DD-rats). After weaning they were placed under light-dark cycles of 24h period for 29 days to eliminate the aftereffects of the previous lighting. All the animals were then binocularly enucleated and motor activity was recorded. Results reveal that, before and after the enucleation, the expression of the circadian rhythm was stronger in DD- than in the LL-rats. Our results indicate that lighting conditions during lactation modify the functioning of the circadian pacemaker. |
