Artículo
Age-related changes in melatonin synthesis in rat extrapineal tissues
Autor/es | Sánchez Hidalgo, Marina
Alarcón de la Lastra Romero, Catalina Carrascosa Salmoral, María del Pilar Naranjo Gutiérrez, María del Carmen Gómez Corbera, Araceli Guerrero, Juan M. |
Departamento | Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Farmacología Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Bioquímica Médica y Biología Molecular e Inmunología |
Fecha de publicación | 2009-05 |
Fecha de depósito | 2020-06-16 |
Publicado en |
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Resumen | In the search of new therapeutic targets improving the quality of life of elderly, melatonin, “the chemical expression of darkness”, seems to play a remarkable role in aging process possibly due to its antioxidant, ... In the search of new therapeutic targets improving the quality of life of elderly, melatonin, “the chemical expression of darkness”, seems to play a remarkable role in aging process possibly due to its antioxidant, immunoenhancer and anti-aging properties. The present study was designed to elucidate effects of aging in melatonin extrapineal synthesis and investigate evident age-related alterations in the action mechanisms involved. The presence of the two key enzymes involved in melatonin synthesis, arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) was analyzed in thymus, spleen, liver, kidney and heart of 3- and 12 month-old rats using real time PCR as well as its functionality by enzymatic activity assays. In addition, extrapineal melatonin content was measured by a competitive enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). The results of this study reveal that all rat tissues studied including thymus, and for the first time, spleen, liver, kidney and heart have the necessary machinery to synthesize melatonin. Moreover, we report an age-related decline in rat extrapineal melatonin synthesis with a consequent HIOMT functionality decrease in spleen, liver and heart during physiological aging. On the contrary, NAT enzymatic activity maintains unchanged without evident alterations with advancing age. Moreover, diminished melatonin concentrations were measured in these tissues cited above during aging except in the thymus, where, surprisingly, melatonin content, NAT/HIOMT expression, and enzymatic functionality assays revealed no significant alterations with age. As a conclusion, we report evident age-related changes in melatonin synthesis in some rat peripheral organs. We suggest that thymus may develop compensatory mechanisms to counteract the loss of immune activity and consequently, the loss of this potent antioxidant, during physiological aging. |
Agencias financiadoras | Junta de Andalucía Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICIN). España |
Identificador del proyecto | P06-CTS-1604
PI 060091; RD06 / 00130001 |
Cita | Sánchez Hidalgo, M., Alarcón de la Lastra Romero, C., Carrascosa Salmoral, M.d.P., Naranjo Gutiérrez, M.d.C., Gómez Corbera, A. y Guerrero, J.M. (2009). Age-related changes in melatonin synthesis in rat extrapineal tissues. Experimental Gerontology, 44 (5), 328-334. |
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