Influence of long-term continuous illumination on the nuclear volume of hypothalamic neurons in female rats

A light microscopic quantitative analysis was performed for studying the effects of long-term exposure to continuous illumination on hypothalamic morphology in female rats. Nuclear volumes of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, ventromedial nucleus and preoptic area were measured in 16-18 month-old Long-Evans female rats which had been exposed to continuous light for 11 months. Significant nuclear volume shrinkage could be observed in all investigated regions except for the preoptic area in these animals when compared to that of control rats kept under a photoperiod of 14h light and 10h dark. The relationship between morphological changes of hypothalamic neurons and the marked alteration of melatonin and estrogen levels induced by long-term exposure to continuous light is discussed.