SOJ ImmunologyOpen Access Mini Review oxidative status and the inflammatory response, it is logical to hypothesize that therapy with substances possessing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects may be beneficial in reducing these complications.Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is secreted in the pineal gland and extra pineal tissues. Melatonin possesses a wide variety of biological effects such as chronobiological, sedative and anxiolytic. Melatonin may act as an antioxidant and a potent scavenger of both oxygen and nitrogen reactive molecules. The free radical scavenging activity of melatonin is receptor independent process whereas the indirect effect likely involves specific receptors [6]. Melatonin stimulates the activity of enzymes involved in antioxidant defense and reduces the production of proinflammatory mediators [7,8]. Melatonin is a small, highly lipophilic and hydrophilic molecule. It passes freely through membranes and distributes in all subcellular compartments [5]. These evidences suggest that these pleiotropic functions of melatonin may be used clinically under conditions where its circulating levels are reduced [9,10]. Because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, exogenous melatonin attenuates ischemia/reperfusion and hepatotoxins induced liver injury [11][12][13].
Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effect of melatoninMelatonin participates in the regulation of important physiological processes. This hormone is known to regulate the circadian rhythms induced by a short light dark cycle and the circadian rhythms [14,15]. A number of studies demonstrate that melatonin is an interesting pharmacological agent in the treatment of inflammatory conditions [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. The beneficial effect of melatonin in these studies is associated with: 1) antioxidant effect of this indole and 2) modulation of the inflammatory response.A large body of evidence indicates that melatonin is a major Scavenger of Radical Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive nitrogen (RNS species and activator of antioxidant enzymes [17][18][19]. Under normal conditions ROS and RNS are produced in mitochondria and they are neutralized by non enzymatic
AbsractSevere thermal injury is a common traumatic injury that results in local tissue damage and systemic response and represents a serious clinical problem. A skin burn leads to dysfunction of organs distant from the original burn skin injury, including the liver. The pathophysiology of burn-induced liver injury is very complicated and remains unclear. Increasing evidence implicate activation of the inflammatory response along with the oxidative stress as the main mechanisms of hepatic injury in burns. Melatonin is a multifunctional molecule that might counteract all pathophysiologic steps and displays beneficial effects against cellular damage, induced by thermal injury. This review summarises protective effect of melatonin on hepatic injury related with suppression of oxidative stress, inflammatory response and ap...