Abstract
Stressor exposure activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and causes elevations in the levels of glucocorticoids (GC) from the adrenal glands.
Increasing evidence has demonstrated that prolonged exposure to high GC levels can lead to oxidative stress, calcium deregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in a number of cell types.
However, melatonin, via its antioxidant activity, exhibits a neuroprotective effect against oxidative stress-induced cell death.
Therefore, in the present study, we explored the protective effect of melatonin in GC-induced toxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.
Cellular treatment with the toxically high doses of the synthetic GC receptor agonist, dexamethasone (DEX) elicited marked decreases in the levels of glutathione and increases in ROS production, lipid peroxidation and cell death. DEX toxicity also induced increases in the levels of cytosolic calcium and mitochondrial fusion proteins (Mfn1 and Opa1) but decreases in the levels of mitochondrial fission proteins (Fis1 and Drp1). Mitochondrial damage was observed in large proportions of the DEX-treated cells.
Pretreatment of the cells with melatonin substantially prevented the DEX-induced toxicity.
These results suggest that melatonin might exert protective effects against oxidative stress, cytosolic calcium overload and mitochondrial damage in DEX-induced neurotoxicity.
See also:
- Official Web Site: The Di Bella Method;
- 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 - Calcium, 2 grams per day, orally);
- 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);
- Publication, 2019 Aug: The Entrapment of Somatostatin in a Lipid Formulation: Retarded Release and Free Radical Reactivity (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication, 2019 Sep: Effects of Somatostatin and Vitamin C on the Fatty Acid Profile of Breast Cancer Cell Membranes (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Bromocriptine and/or Cabergoline);
- Neuroblastoma: Complete objective response to biological treatment;
- Oesophageal squamocellular carcinoma: a complete and objective response;
- Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: clinical records on 17 patients treated with Di Bella's Method;