Aims
Preventing mitochondrial dysfunction and enhancing mitochondrial health and biogenesis is a crucial therapeutic approach to ameliorate injury following acute myocardial infarction. Although the antioxidant role of melatonin against ischemia/reperfusion injury has been reported, the exact mechanism of protection,
in vivo
, remains poorly understood. This study aims to identify and elaborate upon mechanism of melatonin protection of rat cardiac mitochondria against acute myocardial infarction.
Main methods
Rats were pre-treated with melatonin (10 mg/kg body weight (b.w.); intraperitoneally, i.p.) before isoproterenol bitartrate (ISO) administration (25 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) subcutaneously,s.c.) and their effect on rat heart mitochondrial structure and function was studied. Biochemical changes in activity of biomarkers of oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes as well as Krebs' cycle enzymes were analyzed. Gene expression studies and Isothermal titration calorimetric studies with pure catalase and ISO were also carried out.
Key findings
Melatonin was shown to reduce ISO induced oxidative stress, by stimulating superoxide dismutase activity and removing the inhibition of Krebs' cycle enzymes. Herein we report for the first time in rat model that melatonin activates the SIRT1-PGC-1α-SIRT3 signaling pathways after ISO administration, which ultimately induces mitochondrial biogenesis. Melatonin exhibited significant protection of mitochondrial architecture and topology along with increased calcium ion permeability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by ISO. Isothermal calorimetric studies revealed that melatonin binds to ISO molecules and sequesters them from the reaction thereby limiting their interaction with catalase along with occupying the binding sites of catalase themselves.
Significance
Activation of SIRT1-PGC-1α-SIRT3 pathway by melatonin along with its biophysical properties prevents ISO induced mitochondrial injury in rat heart.
Oxidative stress is an important causative factor for a number of diseases. Phenylhydrazine (PHZ) is a widely accepted model for studying hemolytic anemia by induction of oxidative stress. In the present study, goat red blood cells (RBCs) were incubated in vitro with PHZ (1mM) to generate oxidative stress. To test whether melatonin exhibits protective effects on PHZ induced RBC damage and to explore its potential molecular mechanisms, different concentrations of melatonin (5, 10, 20 and 40 nmoles/ml) were also included. PHZ caused altered profiles on biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidative as well as glucose metabolic enzymes in RBCs. These alterations indicated a development of oxidative stress. Melatonin at a concentration of 40 nmoles/ml provided optimal protection against all alterations induced by PHZ. The important cellular membrane proteins, including spectrin and actin, were also damaged by PHZ and this led to RBC deformation similar to that of observed in severe β-thalassaemia; the RBC deformation was also prevented by melatonin. Binding profiles of melatonin with PHZ and ferrous iron indicated favorable binding of melatonin with both of them, respectively. Thus, in addition to the direct antioxidant and free radical scavenging capability, melatonin also inhibited iron overloading by chelating iron and binding with the PHZ. This action of melatonin further reduces free radical generation. Based on the results, melatonin may provide therapeutic relevance to ß-thalassemia and other hemolytic RBC disorders involving oxidative stress.
Cadmium (Cd) is a notorious environmental pollutant known for its wide range of toxicities to organisms. Thus, the present study is designed to examine whether melatonin, a potent antioxidant, protects against Cd-induced oxidative damage in the heart, liver and kidney of rats. Cd treatment at a dose of 0.44 mg/kg for 15 days caused severe damage in all these organs. These included significantly increased activities of SGPT, SGOT, lactate dehydrogenase- 1 and 5 and ALP and levels of total lactate, creatinine, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and reduced glutathione while the activities of superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase along with mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, α-keto glutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, NADH-cytochrome-c-oxidoreductase and cytochrome-c-oxidase were significantly reduced by Cd. However, if melatonin was given orally 30 min before Cd injection, all these alterations induced by Cd were significantly preserved by melatonin. Histological observations also demonstrated that Cd exposure caused cellular lesions, promoting necrotic or apoptotic changes. Notably, all these changes were significantly protected by melatonin. The results suggest that melatonin is a beneficial molecule to ameliorate Cd-induced oxidative damage in the heart, liver and kidney tissues of rats with its powerful antioxidant capacity, heavy metal chelating activity and competition of binding sites with Cd to the GSH and catalase.
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