Melatonin — More than Just a Pineal Hormone
Journal Title: Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research (BJSTR) - Year 2017, Vol 1, Issue 4
Abstract
Melatonin is not only synthesized in the pineal gland and the retina, but also in numerous other tissues. Extrapineal melatonin is formed in amounts exceeding by orders of magnitude that found in the pineal gland. This is particularly valid for the gastrointestinal tract, in which several physiological functions such as duodenal bicarbonate secretion have been elucidated. Melatonin is produced upon neuronal stimuli in enteroendocrine cells. Duodenal signaling involves the melatonin receptor MT2 present in enterocytes and in Paneth cells, in the latter case causing uroguanylin/guanylin release that leads to enterocytic activation of the receptor guanylyl cyclase GUCY2C. High amounts of melatonin are also found in the bile fluid, with contributions of melatonin synthesized in cholangiocytes and, presumably, enterohepatic circulation. Melatonin is also formed and metabolized in the skin, in which it contributes to photoprotection. In the cerebellum, melatonin formation is upregulated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide and conveys local anti-inflammatory protection. Increasing evidence indicates that melatonin does not easily cross membranes because of lipophilicity, but that transporters are required.
Authors and Affiliations
Rüdiger Hardeland
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP570031
- DOI 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000351
- Views 164
- Downloads 0
A Case Report: Unusual Presentation of a Common Disease
Appendicitis is a common disease. However, tip appendicitis is found in 4-5% of all appendicitis. Tip appendicitis, complicated by internal herniation of caecum with small intestine resulting in small loop obstruction of...
The Onset of Acne Vulgaris among Adult Women and the Effectiveness of Therapy with Ferulic Acid and D'arsonwal's Currents
Introduction: Acne vulgaris as a skin disease does not only affect young people. It is extremely acute and more common problem among adults, that appears around the age of 25 or lasts continuously from the time of maturi...
The “Master Code of Biology”: New Biomathematical Tracks in Alzheimer Disease
Fundamental research not yet published enables us to unify, overall, the genomics and proteomics information of any genetic sequence. This fundamental law is based on a bio-mathematics unification of all genetic informat...
Maintaining Tissue Architecture in Immediate Implant Placement Following Extraction of Natural Teeth Using Custom Healing Screw
The aim of this study was to compare the conventional healing screw with custom healing screw in terms of maintenance of soft tissue architecture. Twenty-four patients who underwent single tooth extraction and single imm...
Atypical Granular Cell Tumour of the Vulva
Granular cell tumours are benign tumours that are thought to originate from the Schwann cells. They tend to occur in middle aged adults and can be found anywhere in the body in subcutaneous as well as dermis tissue [1]....