Immune system
Medical Studies on Melatonin – Immune system
A strong immune system is an essential factor in human health, because it helps to successfully fight viruses, bacteria and other micro-organisms, making it an important provider of protection against pathogens. It also affects wound healing and plays a key role in protecting against other diseases such as cancer. Melatonin is capable of regulating this complex system in such a way that it offers perfect protection while also not reacting excessively. To this end, it regulates both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory factors, which in turn control immune cells.
Versatile protective mechanisms
Oxidative damage in particular has a severe impact on human health and has been identified as a key factor in the genesis and development of numerous diseases. Melatonin plays a key role in this context. As a natural antioxidant of the body, it offers important protection against free radicals, but it also has many indirect effects too. For example, melatonin activates anti-oxidative enzymes, providing support for DNA repair processes, among other things.
Melatonin reduces cell damage
As was recently confirmed by a study, melatonin is a highly effective agent for treating inflammatory and immune diseases by inhibiting toll-like receptors (TLRs). These are of fundamental importance in the pathophysiology of diseases associated with inflammation processes, including those related to neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Other pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors are also positively affected by melatonin.
Medical Studies on Melatonin – Immune system
2013-04-03
Melatonin modulates a wide range of physiological functions with pleiotropic effects on the immune system.
2012-09-02
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a multifunctional signaling molecule that has a variety of important functions. Numerous clinical trials have examined the therapeutic usefulness of melatonin in different fields of medicine.
2012-01-19
Melatonin is a versatile molecule, synthesized not only by the pineal gland, but also in small amounts by many other organs like retina, gastrointestinal tract, thymus, bone marrow, lymphocytes etc.
2011-12-21
The main objective of this study was to detect fatigue-induced clinical symptoms of immune suppression in medical residents. Samples were collected from the subjects at rest, following the first night (low-stress), and the last night (high-stress) of night float.
2010-12-19
Melatonin is a versatile molecule, synthesized not only in the pineal gland, but also in many other organs. Melatonin plays an important physiologic role in sleep and circadian rhythm regulation, immunoregulation, antioxidant and mitochondrial-protective functions, reproductive control, and regulation of mood.
2010-12-18
Melatonin is a neurohormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates sleep and circadian functions. Melatonin also regulates inflammatory and immune processes acting as both an activator and inhibitor of these responses.
2010-10-12
Besides its well-known regulatory role on circadian rhythm, the pineal gland hormone melatonin has other biological functions and a distinct metabolism in various cell types and peripheral tissues. In different tissues and organs, melatonin has been described to act as a paracrine and also as an intracrine and autocrine agent with overall homeostatic functions and pleiotropic effects that include cell protection and prosurvival factor.
2008-05-14
Infection with Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) typically causes lesions of the mouth, face, skin, esophagus, or brain. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) usually causes infections of the genitals, rectum, skin, hands, or meninges.
2007-01-20
Melatonin is a highly conserved molecule. Its presence can be traced back to ancient photosynthetic prokaryotes. A primitive and primary function of melatonin is that it acts as a receptor-independent free radical scavenger and a broad-spectrum antioxidant.
2003-12-18
In numerous experimental systems, the neurohormone melatonin has been shown to protect against oxidative stress, an effect which appears to be the result of a combination of different actions. In this study, we have investigated the possible contribution to radical scavenging by substituted kynuramines formed from melatonin via pyrrole ring cleavage.
2002-02-07
In this paper we review the historical milestones that first highlighted the existence of a relationship between melatonin and the immune system and we summarize data from experiments which correlate the rhythmic production of melatonin with the rhythmic activity of the immune system.
2001-12-07
Free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neonatal sepsis and its complications.