Insight into the cardioprotective effects of melatonin: shining a spotlight on intercellular Sirt signaling communication.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to summarize existing literature on melatonin's cardioprotective effects, particularly its modulation of Sirt signaling pathways, and its potential as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases.
Results Summary
Melatonin activates Sirt signaling pathways, leading to benefits such as preserved mitochondrial function, reduced oxidative stress, decreased inflammation, prevention of cell death, and regulated autophagy in cardiac cells, potentially ameliorating various cardiovascular pathologies.
Population
Not specified (literature review)
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin | increase | Sirt signaling pathways | - | - | activates | #1 |
melatonin | increase | mitochondrial function | cardiac cells | - | preserving | #2 |
melatonin | decrease | oxidative stress | cardiac cells | - | reducing | #3 |
melatonin | decrease | inflammation | cardiac cells | - | decreasing | #4 |
melatonin | decrease | cell death | cardiac cells | - | preventing | #5 |
melatonin | neutral | autophagy | cardiac cells | - | regulating | #6 |
melatonin | decrease | cardiovascular pathologies | - | - | ameliorating | #7 |
melatonin | neutral | different Sirt family members | - | - | modulation | #8 |
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death and illness worldwide. While there have been advancements in the treatment of CVDs using medication and medical procedures, these conventional methods have limited effectiveness in halting the progression of heart diseases to complete heart failure. However, in recent years, the hormone melatonin has shown promise as a protective agent for the heart. Melatonin, which is secreted by the pineal gland and regulates our sleep-wake cycle, plays a role in various biological processes including oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, and cell death. The Sirtuin (Sirt) family of proteins has gained attention for their involvement in many cellular functions related to heart health. It has been well established that melatonin activates the Sirt signaling pathways, leading to several beneficial effects on the heart. These include preserving mitochondrial function, reducing oxidative stress, decreasing inflammation, preventing cell death, and regulating autophagy in cardiac cells. Therefore, melatonin could play crucial roles in ameliorating various cardiovascular pathologies, such as sepsis, drug toxicity-induced myocardial injury, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, hypertension, heart failure, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. These effects may be partly attributed to the modulation of different Sirt family members by melatonin. This review summarizes the existing body of literature highlighting the cardioprotective effects of melatonin, specifically the ones including modulation of Sirt signaling pathways. Also, we discuss the potential use of melatonin-Sirt interactions as a forthcoming therapeutic target for managing and preventing CVDs.