Session Speaker

Melatonin's Protective Actions on the Developing Brain and Retina Against Hypoxic Damage
Charanjit Kaur
Singapore

Melatonin, a neurohormone synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland, has antioxidant, immunoregulatory and neuroprotective actions. It has been used in the treatment of sleep disorders and is reported to have neuroprotective effects in many central nervous system conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, ischemic injury, neuropsychiatric disorders and head injury. Results from our laboratory have shown that it affords protection to the developing brain and retina in hypoxic conditions by suppressing the production of nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines and reducing cell death. Along with this, melatonin also enhanced the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 which has been reported to ameliorate hypoxic damage in the developing brain. Increased vascular permeability resulting from hypoxic injury was also reduced by melatonin as it suppressed production of vascular endothelial growth factor and preserved the structural integrity of the vascular endothelial cells. In view of these protective effects, melatonin merits consideration as a potential therapeutic agent for mitigating hypoxic damage in the developing brain and retina.

This study was supported by a research grants (R-181-000-098-112 and) from the National University of Singapore and (R-181-000-120-213) from the National Medical Research Council of Singapore.