TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of the neurohormone melatonin as a buffer against macromolecular oxidative damage
AU - Reiter, Russel J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgement-Work by the author was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
PY - 1995/12
Y1 - 1995/12
N2 - This paper summarizes the recent findings which show that the neural hormone melatonin is a free radical scavenger and general antioxidant. When compared with other antioxidants melatonin seems to have greater efficacy in protecting against cellular oxidative stress. These findings illustrate that melatonin preserves macromolecules including DNA, protein and lipid from oxidative damage following the administration of the chemical carcinogen, safrole, after exposure to ionizing radiation, following glutathione depletion, and after administration of the free radical generating herbicide, paraquat. In vitro evidence shows that melatonin is a potent scavenger of the highly toxic hydroxyl radical and in vitro evidence suggests that melatonin is an important and powerful antioxidant. Considering its high lipophilicity and its non-toxic nature as well as its ability to readily cross the blood-brain barrier, the neurohormone melatonin may prove to be an effective and important molecule in the antioxidative defense system, especially in the central nervous system. Besides the ease with which melatonin enters the brain, neurons seem to accumulate readily this hormone.
AB - This paper summarizes the recent findings which show that the neural hormone melatonin is a free radical scavenger and general antioxidant. When compared with other antioxidants melatonin seems to have greater efficacy in protecting against cellular oxidative stress. These findings illustrate that melatonin preserves macromolecules including DNA, protein and lipid from oxidative damage following the administration of the chemical carcinogen, safrole, after exposure to ionizing radiation, following glutathione depletion, and after administration of the free radical generating herbicide, paraquat. In vitro evidence shows that melatonin is a potent scavenger of the highly toxic hydroxyl radical and in vitro evidence suggests that melatonin is an important and powerful antioxidant. Considering its high lipophilicity and its non-toxic nature as well as its ability to readily cross the blood-brain barrier, the neurohormone melatonin may prove to be an effective and important molecule in the antioxidative defense system, especially in the central nervous system. Besides the ease with which melatonin enters the brain, neurons seem to accumulate readily this hormone.
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U2 - 10.1016/0197-0186(95)80002-3
DO - 10.1016/0197-0186(95)80002-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 8574173
AN - SCOPUS:0028784799
SN - 0197-0186
VL - 27
SP - 453
EP - 460
JO - Neurochemistry International
JF - Neurochemistry International
IS - 6
ER -