Media type: E-Article Title: Pineal volume and circadian melatonin profile in healthy volunteers: An interdisciplinary approach Contributor: Nölte, Ingo; Lütkhoff, Ann‐Theres; Stuck, Boris A.; Lemmer, Björn; Schredl, Michael; Findeisen, Peter; Groden, Christoph Published: Wiley, 2009 Published in: Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 30 (2009) 3, Seite 499-505 Language: English DOI: 10.1002/jmri.21872 ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586 Origination: Footnote: Description: AbstractPurposeTo correlate pineal parenchyma volume (PP) to circadian melatonin profiles and to determine the 24‐hour melatonin per volume of pineal tissue (MLPV). Furthermore, we compared melatonin profiles of cystic and solid glands.MethodsIn 15 healthy male subjects (20–27 years) the PP was determined using high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (trueFISP, isotropic voxel: 0.8 mm3). Melatonin plasma concentrations (MC) were determined every 2 hours for 24 hours.ResultsMean PP was 125 ± 54 mm3. PP correlated linearly to maximum MC and to 24‐hour melatonin (r = 0.61 and r = 0.64, P < 0.05) but not to minimum MC. The 24‐hour melatonin was 653 ± 242.6 pg/mL, MLPV was 5.8 ± 2.3 pg/mL*ml−1. Nine pineal glands were solid and six were cystic. PP of solid glands showed higher linear correlations to maximum melatonin, to 24‐hour melatonin, and to the slope of the melatonin increase of the curve (P < 0.05).ConclusionPP correlates linearly to melatonin plasma concentrations in humans. MLPV displays similar interindividual differences as 24‐hour melatonin. PP of solid glands show better correlation to melatonin profiles than cystic. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.