Melatonin Protects Cellular Energy Centers From Oxidative Damage
- Authors
- Dario Acuna-Castroviejo, Germaine Escames, Angel Carazo, Josefa Leon, Huda Khaldy, Russel J. Reiter
- Journal
- Current Topics in Medical Chemistry
- Year
- 2002
- DOI
- 10.2174/1568026023394344
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Spain
- Health Condition
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Melatonin (a natural chemical in your body) is really good at protecting your mitochondria—the tiny power plants inside your cells—from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. This matters because when mitochondria get damaged, it can lead to serious diseases like nerve damage and muscle problems, so melatonin could be a new way to treat these diseases.
Key Finding
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Summary
Scientists reviewed research on melatonin's role in protecting mitochondria, the cellular structures responsible for energy production. The review explored how mitochondrial damage from reactive oxygen species contributes to various diseases, particularly neurodegenerative and neuromuscular conditions. Researchers found that melatonin demonstrates significant antioxidant properties, effectively protecting mitochondria from oxidative stress and damage. The hormone appears to regulate gene expression and maintain mitochondrial function. These protective effects suggest melatonin could serve as a therapeutic agent for diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction, offering a potential treatment approach for conditions where cellular energy production is compromised.
Abstract
The recently described 'hydrogen hypothesis' invokes metabolic symbiosis as the driving force for a symbiotic association between an anaerobic, strictly hydrogen-dependent organism (the host) and an eubacterium (the symbiont) that is able to respire, but which generates molecular hydrogen as an end product of anaerobic metabolism. The resulting proto-eukaryotic cell would have acquired the essentials of eukaryotic energy metabolism, evolving not only aerobic respiration, but also the cost of oxygen consumption, i.e., generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage. Mitochondria contain their own genome with a modified genetic code that is highly conserved among mammals. Control of gene expression suggests that transcription of certain mitochondrial genes may be regulated in response to the redox potential of the mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria are involved in energy production and conservation, and they have an uncoupling mechanism to produce heat instead of ATP. Also, mitochondria are involved in programmed cell death. Increasing evidence suggests the participation of mitochondria in neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases involving alterations in both nuclear (nDNA) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA. Melatonin is now known as a powerful antioxidant and increasing experimental evidence shows its beneficial effects against oxidative stress-induced macromolecular damage and diseases, including those in which mitochondrial function is affected. This review summarizes the data and mechanisms of action of melatonin in relation to mitochondrial pathologies.