Title:The Role of Melatonin in Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington's Disease and Cerebral Ischemia
Volume: 13
Issue: 6
Author(s): Begona M. Escribano, Ana L. Colin-Gonzalez, Abel Santamaria and Isaac Tunez
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Huntington's disease, melatonin, multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneration, neuroprotection, oxidative stress, stroke.
Abstract: Melatonin is produced and released by the pineal gland in a circadian rhythm. This neurohormone has proven
to be an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule able to reduce or mitigate cell damage associated with oxidative
stress and inflammation, and this phenomenon underlies neurodegenerative disorders. These facts have drawn attention to
this indole, triggering interest in evaluating its changes and in its relationship to the processes indicated, and analyzing its
role in the mechanisms involved at the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as its therapeutic
potential. Multiple sclerosis, the most common cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults, is a chronic
neuroinflammatory disease, characterized by demyelination, inflammation, and neuronal and oxidative damage. In its
early diagnosis, it often requires a differential screening with other neurodegenerative diseases with similar symptoms,
such as Huntington’s disease, an autosomal dominant disorder. The onset of both diseases occurs in the second or third
decade of life. On the other hand, cerebral ischemia is a major cause of human disability all over the world. Although a
cerebral stroke can occur as the result of different damaging insults, severe ischemia produces the death of neuronal cells
within minutes. Changes in melatonin levels have been observed in these processes (Huntington’s disease, multiple
sclerosis and cerebral ischemia) as part of their pathogenic features. This review aims to update and discuss the role
played by melatonin during neurodegenerative processes, specifically in multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and
cerebral ischemia, and its possible therapeutic use. We also provide readers with an update on the many neuroprotective
mechanisms exerted by this neurohormone in the Central Nervous System.