This is a topic that confuses a lot of people and even some vets.
Melatonin can decrease the cortisol level. Usually this is not a
significant decrease as was shown in the U of Wisconsin oral melatonin
study. Lowering the cortisol level can lower the blood glucose level.
However melatonin can also lower the insulin level which raises the
glucose level, and melatonin can increase the production of glucose
(gluconeogenesis) by the liver which also raises the glucose level.
Thus the glucose level is usually not lowered by melatonin as was
shown in the recent melatonin implant study at Colorado State.
Therefore Lucia's low glucose level is more likely from an insulinoma
(or other problem) and not from melatonin.

Hope that clears up the confusion,
Jerry Murray, DVM


Brought here with author's permission to FHL Co-moderator,
Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html


P.S.
For those who want to see info about the most recent article on
melatonin and glucose levels (which found that over-all it decreased
insulin enough that the result was higher glucose levels) although
the work is not on ferrets:

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL7361

<http://www.sciencenews.org/index/generic/activity/view/id/39146/title/Lack_of_sleep_has_ge%3Dnetic_link_with_type_2_diabetes>

and you can find earlier things in the FHL Archives
by just searching message contents for things like

melatonin and insulin

or

melatonin and glucose

[Posted in FML 6239]