melatonin can help with
mild insomnia and jet lag
more anti-oxidant action
.......................................................
Neuroendocrinol Lett 2001 Apr;22(2):101-108 [epub ahead of print]
Protective role of melatonin against MPTP-induced mouse brain cell DNA
fragmentation and apoptosis in vivo.
Ortiz GG, Crespo-Lopez ME, Moran-Moguel C, Garcia JJ, Reiter RJ,
Acuna-Castroviejo D.
Laboratorio de Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Division de Neurociencias, Centro de
Investigacion Biomedica de Occidente (CIBO)-Instituto Mexicano del Seguro
Social (IMSS), Guadalajara (Jalisco), Mexico.
OBJECTIVES: 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is a
neurotoxin that induces a Parkinsonian-type syndrome in animals which is
similar to Parkinson's disease in humans. MPTP toxicity partially depends
on the production of free radicals which in turn play a key role in the
apoptotic death of neurons. In the present study melatonin, a potent free
radical scavenger with antiapoptotic properties, was given to determine
whether it would reduce oxidative stress in mice treated with MPTP.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male mice were given MPTP with or without melatonin
and the brain was studied either 6h, 24h, 7 days or 15 days after the last
MPTP injection. RESULTS: The results show that melatonin counteracted in
vivo MPTP-induced apoptosis in midbrain neurons at 6 and 24 h after MPTP
treatment, and partially prevented apoptosis at 7 and 15 days after MPTP
administration. MPTP treatment also produced time-dependent cell damage,
whereas melatonin reduced the percentage of damaged cells at all time
points, the effect being most evident at 15 days after treatment. Moreover,
melatonin counteracted MPTP-dependent DNA fragmentation in the midbrain and
striatum at 7 and 15 days after drug administration. CONCLUSION: These
results support a role for melatonin in protecting neurons against MPTP
toxicity in vivo, and suggest that its antiapoptotic action is one of the
mechanisms by which melatonin protects neuronal cells from neurotoxic insults.
PMID: 11335886 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Ray Strand
Prairie Sky Design
-----------------( on the Edge of the Prairie Abyss )---------------
when the sky is clear
the ground is visible
49/dx PD 2 yrs/40? onset
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