Title:A Systematic Review of the Chemo/Radioprotective Effects of Melatonin
against Ototoxic Adverse Effects Induced by Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy
Volume: 29
Issue: 15
Author(s): Usama Basirat, Umer Bin Tariq, Nawal Moeen, Zanko Hassan Jawhar, Sarah Jawad Shoja, Ali Kamil Kareem, Andrés Alexis Ramírez-Coronel, Rosario Mireya Romero-Parra, Rahman S. Zabibah, Jitendra Gupta, Yasser Fakri Mustafa and Bagher Farhood*
Affiliation:
- Department of
Medical Physics and Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Keywords:
Cancer, chemotherapy, ototoxicity, radiotherapy, melatonin, systematic review.
Abstract:
Background: Although chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective in cancer treatment, different
adverse effects induced by these therapeutic modalities (such as ototoxicity) restrict their clinical use. Co-treatment
of melatonin may alleviate the chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced ototoxicity.
Objective: In the present study, the otoprotective potentials of melatonin against the ototoxicity induced by chemotherapy
and radiotherapy were reviewed.
Methods: According to the PRISMA guideline, a systematic search was carried out to identify all relevant
studies on “the role of melatonin against ototoxic damage associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy” in
the different electronic databases up to September 2022. Sixty-seven articles were screened based on a predefined
set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven eligible studies were finally included in this review.
Results: The in vitro findings showed that cisplatin chemotherapy significantly decreased the auditory cell viability
compared to the control group; in contrast, the melatonin co-administration increased the cell viability of
cisplatin-treated cells. The results obtained from the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and auditory
brainstem response (ABR) tests demonstrated a decreased amplitude of DPOAE and increased values of
ABR I-IV interval and ABR threshold in mice/rats receiving radiotherapy and cisplatin; nevertheless, melatonin
co-treatment indicated an opposite pattern on these evaluated parameters. It was also found that cisplatin
and radiotherapy could significantly induce the histological and biochemical changes in the auditory cells/tissue.
However, melatonin co-treatment resulted in alleviating the cisplatin/radiotherapy-induced biochemical
and histological changes.
Conclusion: According to the findings, it was shown that melatonin co-treatment alleviates the ototoxic damage
induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Mechanically, melatonin may exert its otoprotective effects via
its anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities and other mechanisms.
