title: Melatonin response in active epilepsy.
abstract: Urinary excretion of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT.6S), the hepatic metabolite of melatonin, was measured for three consecutive 8-h intervals, beginning at 0600 h, in 30 patients with untreated active epilepsy and in 19 healthy subjects. Excretion of aMT.6S in a 24-h period in patients with active epilepsy was 77.3 +/- 55 nmol (median 68.0, range 8.7-280 nmol), significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of healthy subjects (49.1 +/- 14 nmol, median 49.0, range 19.7-68.0 nmol). Sequential 8-h urinary aMT.6S excretion rates in patients with active epilepsy were 2.45 +/- 2.8 nmol/h (0600-1400 h), 0.83 +/- 0.5 nmol (1400-2200 h) and 6.38 +/- 5.0 nmol/h (2200-0600 h) as compared with 1.43 +/- 0.8, 1.10 +/- 0.8 and 3.81 +/- 1.3 nmol/h, respectively, in healthy subjects. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the difference in total output resulted from greater nocturnal excretion (F = 5.58, p = 0.018). Melatonin production in untreated patients with active epilepsy is increased and has a circadian pattern with a phase difference as compared with that of normal subjects.
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Epilepsy Service, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, Australia.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Schapel
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Beran
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kennaway
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLoughney
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D008550:Melatonin