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In this study, we sought to elucidate the effects of melatonin on learning and memory as well as apoptosis and expression of the Bax or Bcl-2 proteins in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in pinealectomized rats. Using the Morris water maze and the olfactory memory tests, we found that the average escape latency in pinealectomized rats was clearly increased compared with sham-operated rats. Moreover, the average escape latency in the melatonin-treated and pinealectomized rats was longer than that in the sham-operated rats and shorter than that in the pinealectomized and untreated rats. Immunohistochemistry and terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) showed that there were fewer Bax immunoreactive cells and TUNEL-positive (apoptotic) cells but more Bcl-2 immunoreactive cells in the melatonin-treated rats compared with the pinealectomized rats. The sham-operated rats showed numbers of these cells similar to the melatonin-treated rats. These experimental findings demonstrate that melatonin treatment may reduce abnormal apoptosis by promoting gene expression of Bax and suppressing gene expression of Bcl-2 in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in pinealectomized rats. These effects appear to result in the inhibition of cellular apoptosis and the improvement of spatial learning and memory in pinealectomized rats.