Home page News Related Researches 2000-2009

Melatonin attenuates estradiol-induced oxidative damage to DNA: relevance for cancer prevention

Published on Sunday, 19 November 2023

Abstract

Estrogens exert pro-oxidative effects and have been shown to damage DNA, potentially leading to cancer. Melatonin is a well-known antioxidant, free radical scavenger, and oncostatic agent.

Changes in the levels of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo), an index of DNA damage, and the levels of malondialdehyde + 4-hydroxyalkenals, an index of lipid peroxidation, were measured in kidneys, liver, and testes from hamsters treated with E2 (75 mg/kg body wt) and were collected 3 or 5 hr later.

Other animals were treated with melatonin (15 mg/kg body wt, 30 min before and 120 min after E2 treatment) or were given both compounds.

Additionally, lipid peroxidation was measured in liver homogenates exposed to ferrous sulfate (15 microM) in vitro.

E2 treatment caused an increase in 8-oxodGuo levels in kidneys collected 5 hr after E2 administration, and in liver 3 hr after estrogen treatment. Melatonin completely prevented E2-induced DNA damage in both organs.

Melatonin alone or when given with E2 and examined 3 hr later decreased the base level of 8-oxodGuo in testes. A tendency for a reduction in in vivo lipid peroxidation was observed after treatment of hamsters with either melatonin, E2, or both compounds, with a statistically significant decrease being measured in the liver following E2 administration.

In vitro exposure to iron significantly enhanced lipid peroxidation in hepatic homogenates from untreated, melatonin-treated, or E2-injected hamsters; in the hepatic homogenates of hamsters given both E2 and melatonin, ferrous sulfate failed to augment lipid peroxidation.

Our results confirm the dual actions of estrogens relative to oxidative damage, i.e., estrogen increases oxidative destruction of DNA while reducing lipid peroxidation.

Melatonin had antioxidative actions in reducing oxidative damage to both DNA and to membrane lipids.

Melatonin completely prevented the damaging action of E2 on DNA and synergized with the steroid to reduce lipid peroxidation.

Download the complete article

About this publication.

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Melatonin tablets. From 30-40mg/day up to 200mg/day orally in patients with advanced stage of cancer disease and/or patients without respond to traditional treatments);

- Melatonin use in cancer patients have started in 1974, when melatonin prepared according to Prof. Di Bella’s formulation [...]. For 11 days was administered to the patient, admitted to the general medical ward at the Maggiore-Pizzardi Hospital in Bologna, very slowly (over approx. 8 hours) and intravenously administered 1000 mg of melatonin for 11 days. During the course of each day, the patient was intravenously administered 4 saline drips of 500 ml, each containing ten 25 mg bottles of freeze-dried melatonin, lasting 2 hours, totaling 1000 mg per day. No other drug of any kind was administered in order to ascertain the effect of the MLT without interference [...]. From Melatonin with adenosine solubilized in water and stabilized with glycine for oncological treatment - technical preparation, effectivity and clinical findings;

- About Melatonin - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- Publication: Melatonin anticancer effects: Review (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication: Key aspects of melatonin physiology: 30 years of research (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Alpha tocopheryl acetate/Vitamin E, approximately 20 grams per day orally);

- Cancer and Vitamin E (analogues and/or derivatives) and cancer - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- Solution of retinoids in vitamin E in the Di Bella Method biological multitherapy;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - All-Trans Retinoic Acid, Analogues and/or Derivatives - Approximately 60mg per day orally: 40mg per day Beta-Carotene/β-Carotene, 10mg per day ATRA and 10mg per day Axerophthol palmitate);

- All-Trans-Retinoic Acid (ATRA - analogues and/or derivatives) - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- The Di Bella Method (A Variable Part - Omega 3 Essential/Unsaturated Fatty Acids. From 1.5 grams up to 3.0 grams per day orally);

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Somatostatin, Octreotide, Sandostatin LAR, analogues and/or derivatives);

- Somatostatin in oncology, the overlooked evidences - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- Publication, 2018 Jul: Over-Expression of GH/GHR in Breast Cancer and Oncosuppressor Role of Somatostatin as a Physiological Inhibitor (from Di Bella's Foundation);