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Melatonin mediates mucosal immune cells, microbial metabolism, and rhythm crosstalk: A therapeutic target to reduce intestinal inflammation.

Medicinal research reviews
March 1, 2020
Ning Ma et al. (4 authors)
Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tReviewMolecular Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to explore melatonin's potential as a co-adjuvant treatment in intestinal diseases by examining its interactions with gut microbiota, immune modulation, and inflammatory pathways.

Results Summary

The study found that melatonin influences gut microbiota and inflammation through diverse metabolites, modulates immune cell activity, exerts antimicrobial effects, and regulates intestinal immune function via NF-κB and STAT1 pathways. It also mediates bacterial activity signals affecting body rhythm and mucosal epithelium oscillation.

Population

Not specified (mechanistic focus, likely preclinical or in vitro studies).

Effective Dosage

Not specified.

Duration

Not specified.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (12)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
melatonin
neutral
phenotypic effects
-
-
exerts potentially diverse phenotypic effects
#1
melatonin
increase
intestinal mucosal immune cells
-
-
mediates the activation and proliferation
#2
melatonin
neutral
T/B cells, mast cells, macrophages and dendritic cells
-
-
modulating
#3
melatonin
neutral
T-cell differentiation
-
-
regulating
#4
melatonin
neutral
T/B cell interaction
-
-
intervening
#5
melatonin
decrease
pro-inflammatory factors
-
-
attenuating the production
#6
melatonin
increase
antioxidant action
-
-
achieving its antioxidant action
#7
melatonin
increase
antimicrobial action
-
-
exerts antimicrobial action
#8
melatonin
neutral
microbial components
-
-
modulates
#9
melatonin
neutral
intestinal immune function
-
-
modulates intestinal immune function
#10
melatonin
neutral
intestinal bacterial activity signals on the body rhythm system
-
-
mediates the effect
#11
melatonin
neutral
mucosal epithelium oscillation
-
-
influences
#12
Abstract

Nowadays, melatonin, previously considered only as a pharmaceutical product for rhythm regulation and sleep aiding, has shown its potential as a co-adjuvant treatment in intestinal diseases, however, its mechanism is still not very clear. A firm connection between melatonin at a physiologically relevant concentration and the gut microbiota and inflammation has recently established. Herein, we summarize their crosstalk and focus on four novelties. First, how melatonin is synthesized and degraded in the gut and exerts potentially diverse phenotypic effects through its diverse metabolites. Second, how melatonin mediates the activation and proliferation of intestinal mucosal immune cells with paracrine and autocrine properties. By modulating T/B cells, mast cells, macrophages and dendritic cells, melatonin immunomodulatory involved in regulating T-cell differentiation, intervening T/B cell interaction and attenuating the production of pro-inflammatory factors, achieving its antioxidant action via specific receptors. Third, how melatonin exerts antimicrobial action and modulates microbial components, such as lipopolysaccharide, amyloid-β peptides via nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) or signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT1) pathway to modulate intestinal immune function in immune-pineal axis. The last, how melatonin mediates the effect of intestinal bacterial activity signals on the body rhythm system through the NF-κB pathway and influences the mucosal epithelium oscillation via clock gene expression. These processes are achieved at mitochondrial and nuclear levels to control the host immune cell development. Considering unclear mechanisms and undiscovered actions of melatonin in gut-microbiome-immune axis, it's time to reveal them and provide new insight for the outlook of melatonin as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment and management of intestinal diseases.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnimalsBacteriaCircadian RhythmHumansImmunity, MucosalInflammationIntestinesMelatoninMolecular Targeted Therapy
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations108
Citations/Year21.6
Relative Citation Ratio7.00
NIH Percentile96%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.32
Normalized Score0.69
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