Melatonin alleviates the deterioration of oocytes from mice subjected to repeated superovulation

Induction of repeated superovulation with exogenous hormones is widely used in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Though it is generally safe, emerging evidence has indicated that repeated superovulation may compromise oocyte quality. However, few studies have explored how to ameliorate such impairment. Because melatonin has beneficial influences on oocytes in various detrimental environments, we aimed to explore whether melatonin could protect mouse oocytes after repeated superovulation. We found that repeated superovulation markedly reduced meiotic maturation and disrupted spindle organization and chromosome alignment. Furthermore, we observed reduced mitochondrial content and enhanced early apoptosis in oocytes from mice subjected to repeated superovulation. In addition, 5-methylcytosine (5mc) fluorescence intensity was lower in oocytes from experimental mice than in those from control mice, indicating that repeated superovulation disrupts genomic DNA methylation, and elevations in reactive oxygen species levels indicated that repeated superovulation also induces oxidative stress. Conversely, melatonin administration improved oocyte maturation and attenuated the observed defects. Interestingly, supplementation with melatonin during in vitro maturation had the same protective effects on oocytes as in vivo melatonin administration. In summary, our results show that melatonin can improve oocyte quality after repeated superovulation and thus provide a potential strategy to improve ART efficiency.     

Adjuvant chemotherapy with melatonin for targeting human cancers: A review

Melatonin is a multifunctional hormone that has long been known for its antitumoral effects. An advantage of the application of melatonin in cancer therapy is its ability to differentially influence tumors from normal cells. In this review, the roles of melatonin adjuvant therapy in human cancer are discussed. Combination of melatonin with chemotherapy could provide synergistic antitumoral outcomes and resolve drug resistance in affected patients. This combination reduces the dosage for chemotherapeutic agents with the subsequent attenuation of side effects related to these drugs on normal cells around tumor and on healthy organs. The combination therapy increases the rate of survival and improves the quality of life in affected patients. Cancer cell viability is reduced after application of the combinational melatonin therapy. Melatonin does all these functions by adjusting the signals involved in cancer progression, re-establishing the dark/light circadian rhythm, and disrupting the redox system for cancer cells. To achieve effective therapeutic outcomes, melatonin concentration along with the time of incubation for this indoleamine needs to be adjusted. Importantly, a special focus is required to be made on choosing an appropriate chemotherapy agent for using in combination with melatonin. Because of different sensitivities of cancer cells for melatonin combination therapy, cancer-specific targeted therapy is also needed to be considered. For this review, the PubMed database was searched for relevant articles based on the quality of journals, the novelty of articles published by the journals, and the number of citations per year focusing only on human cancers.     

Effects of Melatonin on Growth,Physiology and Gene Expression in Rice Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress

Melatonin (MLT) is a hormonal substance found in many organisms and can improve plant stress resistance. In this study, the japonica rice variety Y32 and indica rice variety NJ6 were cultivated in hydroponics under different concentrations of CdCl₂ at the two-leaf stage. The growth, physiological and biochemical responses of the seedlings and the expression of cadmium (Cd)-related genes under exogenous melatonin (MLT) treatment were assessed. The results indicated that Cd stress destroyed the dynamic balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and removal, resulting in ROS accumulation, membrane lipid peroxidation, and impaired growth and development. Following the application of exogenous MLT to rice seedlings, increases in plant biomass including both underground and above-ground areas were observed. MLT also scavenged the inhibition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in a concentration dependent manner in response to Cd stress. Catalase (CAT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) expression also decreased following MLT treatment. Amongst the six Cd-related genes assessed, five genes were down-regulated and one was up-regulated in response to MLT treatment. Taken together, these data demonstrate that MLT improves the resilience of rice seedlings at the biochemical, physiological, and molecular levels, and diminishes the damage caused by Cd stress.     

Tubular stress proteins and nitric oxide synthase expression in rat kidney exposed to mercuric chloride and melatonin.

Stress proteins such as HSP70 members (HSP72 and GRP75) and metallothionein (MT) protect the kidney against oxidative damage and harmful metals, whereas inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) regulates tubular functions. A single dose of mercuric chloride (HgCl(2)) can cause acute renal failure in rats, its main target being the proximal tubule. Oxidative damage has been proposed as one of its pathogenic mechanisms. In this study we tested whether melatonin (MEL), a powerful antioxidant compound, is effective against HgCl(2) nephrotoxicity. Rats were treated with saline, HgCl(2) (3.5 mg/kg), MEL (5 mg/kg), and MEL + HgCl(2) and examined after 24 hr for HSP72, GRP75, MT, and iNOS by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Tubular effects of the treatment were then characterized by ultrastructure. In the HgCl(2) group, all markers were overexpressed in convoluted proximal tubules and sometimes in distal tubules. In the MEL + HgCl(2) group, GRP75 and iNOS decreased in convoluted and straight proximal tubules, whereas HSP72 and MT persisted more than the saline and MEL-only groups. Tubular damage and mitochondrial morphometry were improved by MEL pretreatment. In conclusion, the beneficial effect of MEL against HgCl(2) nephrotoxicity was outlined morphologically and by the reduction of the tubular expression of stress proteins and iNOS. These markers could represent sensitive recovery index against mercury damage.     

外源褪黑素对干旱胁迫下黑麦草和苜蓿抗氧化能力及养分吸收的影响

以黑麦草和苜蓿为对象,分别叶面喷施和根施100 μmol·L^-1的褪黑素溶液,在干旱胁迫下测定了生物量、丙二醛(MDA)含量、相对电导率、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性、养分含量(有机碳C、全氮N、全磷P)等指标,研究外源褪黑素对干旱胁迫下植物抗氧化能力及养分吸收的影响。结果表明: 干旱胁迫下,黑麦草和苜蓿的地上、地下生物量显著降低,外施褪黑素能够有效缓解干旱胁迫对黑麦草和苜蓿生长的抑制作用,叶面喷施和根施褪黑素使干旱胁迫下黑麦草的生物量分别增加14.5%和29.6%,苜蓿的生物量分别增加36.6%和49.1%。干旱胁迫下,黑麦草的SOD、POD活性和苜蓿的SOD活性显著降低,外施褪黑素显著提高黑麦草和苜蓿的SOD、POD、CAT活性,减少叶片中MDA的积累,使叶片相对电导率显著下降,抗氧化能力显著提高。干旱和外施褪黑素对黑麦草和苜蓿有机碳含量无显著影响。干旱胁迫下,黑麦草叶片和根中的N、P含量以及苜蓿根中的N含量降低,外施褪黑素提高黑麦草和苜蓿根和叶片中的N、P含量,这表明褪黑素对干旱胁迫下黑麦草和苜蓿的养分吸收有一定的调节作用。施用褪黑素不仅能改善植物的抗氧化能力,还能调节养分吸收以增强植物对干旱胁迫的适应性,而且叶面喷施褪黑素效果好于根施。     

常温和低温条件下不同浓度外源褪黑素对降香黄檀幼苗的生理生态影响

为探究外源褪黑素对不同温度下降香黄檀幼苗的生理生态影响,该研究开展了不同浓度外源褪黑素(300、500、600、700、900、1 200μmol·L^-1)对常温（白天28℃/夜晚25℃）和低温（白天8℃/夜晚5℃）下降香黄檀（Dalbergia odorifera）幼苗的生长发育、光合作用、叶片色素含量、叶片水分状况、膜系统等方面影响研究,并通过隶属函数分析综合评价筛选出具有促进降香黄檀幼苗生长发育和提高低温耐受性的最适外源褪黑素浓度。结果表明：（1）在常温下喷施各个浓度的褪黑素溶液,在生长发育（形态、茎高增长和株高增长）,光合作用参数[净光合速率（P_n）、气孔导度（G_s）、胞间二氧化碳浓度（C_i）和蒸腾速率（T_r）],光合色素[总叶绿素（Total Chl）、叶绿素a（Chl a）、叶绿素b（Chl b）和类胡萝卜素（Caro）]和可溶性蛋白含量上均有一定的提高。（2）低温胁迫处理下,喷施各个浓度的褪黑素溶液可在不同程度上缓解低温胁迫对植株形态、茎高增长、株高增长、P     

Decreased mitochondrial DNA copy number in the hippocampus and peripheral blood during opiate addiction is mediated by autophagy and can be salvaged by melatonin

Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is a serious social problem and causes enormous financial burden. Because mitochondrial abnormalities have been associated with opiate addiction, we examined the effect of morphine on mtDNA levels in rat and mouse models of addiction and in cultured cells. We found that mtDNA copy number was significantly reduced in the hippocampus and peripheral blood of morphine-addicted rats and mice compared with control animals. Concordantly, decreased mtDNA copy number and elevated mtDNA damage were observed in the peripheral blood from opiate-addicted patients, indicating detrimental effects of drug abuse and stress. In cultured rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and mouse neurons, morphine treatment caused many mitochondrial defects, including a reduction in mtDNA copy number that was mediated by autophagy. Knockdown of the Atg7 gene was able to counteract the loss of mtDNA copy number induced by morphine. The mitochondria-targeted antioxidant melatonin restored mtDNA content and neuronal outgrowth and prevented the increase in autophagy upon morphine treatment. In mice, coadministration of melatonin with morphine ameliorated morphine-induced behavioral sensitization, analgesic tolerance and mtDNA content reduction. During drug withdrawal in opiate-addicted patients and improvement of protracted abstinence syndrome, we observed an increase of serum melatonin level. Taken together, our study indicates that opioid addiction is associated with mtDNA copy number reduction and neurostructural remodeling. These effects appear to be mediated by autophagy and can be salvaged by melatonin.     

Melatonin: a possible link between the presence of artificial light at night and reductions in biological fitness

The mechanisms underpinning the ecological impacts of the presence of artificial night lighting remain elusive. One suspected underlying cause is that the presence of light at night (LAN) supresses nocturnal production of melatonin, a key driver of biological rhythm and a potent antioxidant with a proposed role in immune function. Here, we briefly review the evidence for melatonin as the link between LAN and changes in behaviour and physiology. We then present preliminary data supporting the potential for melatonin to act as a recovery agent mitigating the negative effects of LAN in an invertebrate. Adult crickets (Teleogryllus commodus), exposed to constant illumination, were provided with dietary melatonin (concentrations: 0, 10 or 100 µg ml⁻¹) in their drinking water. We then compared survival, lifetime fecundity and, over a 4-week period, immune function (haemocyte concentration, lysozyme-like and phenoloxidase (PO) activity). Melatonin supplementation was able only partially to mitigate the detrimental effects of LAN: it did not improve survival or fecundity or PO activity, but it had a largely dose-dependent positive effect on haemocyte concentration and lysozyme-like activity. We discuss the implications of these relationships, as well as the usefulness of invertebrates as model species for future studies that explore the effects of LAN.     

Artificial light at night desynchronizes strictly seasonal reproduction in a wild mammal

Change in day length is an important cue for reproductive activation in seasonally breeding animals to ensure that the timing of greatest maternal investment (e.g. lactation in mammals) coincides with favourable environmental conditions (e.g. peak productivity). However, artificial light at night has the potential to interfere with the perception of such natural cues. Following a 5-year study on two populations of wild marsupial mammals exposed to different night-time levels of anthropogenic light, we show that light pollution in urban environments masks seasonal changes in ambient light cues, suppressing melatonin levels and delaying births in the tammar wallaby. These results highlight a previously unappreciated relationship linking artificial light at night with induced changes in mammalian reproductive physiology, and the potential for larger-scale impacts at the population level.     

Reproductive seasonality in the Indian pygmy field mouse,Mus terricolor

The Indian pygmy field mouse, Mus terricolor, is a tiny, yet economically and ecologically important crop pest found throughout South-East Asia. There are no systematic reports exploring its reproductive physiology. We report the presence of distinct periods of annual reproductive activity and quiescence in M. terricolor. Body weight in males and females, relative weights of testis, epididymis and seminal vesicle in males, ovarian and uterine weight in females, gonadal histomorphic changes, testicular and ovarian cholesterol, sialic acid in epididymis, fructose in seminal vesicle, uterine protein content, melatonin in males and females, testosterone in males, estradiol, and progesterone in females were studied over a period of three years in both wild-caught and lab-acclimated mice. The number of Graafian follicles and corpora lutea, and plasma estradiol and progesterone, along with relative weights of ovary and uterus in females exhibited a peak in the months of October–January, compared to June. Based on histomorphic and hormonal status, the major reproductively active season is the winter (short-day breeding). There is a brief period of sub-maximal reproductive activity in April. M. terricolor is reproductively inactive in the summer, monsoons, and autumn. The results establish M. terricolor as a seasonal breeder in the field, with interesting implications for pest management.