title: Negative regulation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) by melatonin in the rat pineal gland.
abstract: In this paper evidence that supports a new role for melatonin as a negative endogenous regulator of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) is presented. When rat pineal glands were incubated in culture, time-dependent release of arachidonic acid (AA) was observed, which was significantly inhibited by a known 85-kDa cPLA(2) inhibitor, methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate. Co-incubation with melatonin inhibited the AA release in a concentration-dependent manner, and this decrease was accompanied by a reduction of cPLA(2) protein and mRNA expression. Melatonin-receptor agonists, 2-iodo-N-butanoyl-5-methoxytryptamine and 5-methoxycarbonylamino-N-acetyltryptamine, also decreased AA release and cPLA(2) protein and mRNA levels, while pre-incubation with the melatonin receptor antagonists luzindole and 2-phenylmelatonin abolished the melatonin effect. In vivo, as melatonin production reflected a typical diurnal variation, endogenous non-esterified AA and cPLA(2) mRNA levels in the rat pineal gland showed an off-phase diurnal pattern in relation to melatonin levels. Intravenous administration of isoproterenol, which has been shown to elevate melatonin production, also decreased the levels of non-esterified AA and cPLA(2) mRNA significantly. Direct administration of melatonin to rats by intravenous injection decreased the levels of non-esterified AA, cPLA(2) protein and mRNA in rat pineal glands. In conclusion, melatonin endogenously down-regulates cPLA(2) expression, presumably through melatonin-receptor-mediated processes.
authors.affiliation: Section of Mass Spectrometry, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, 12425 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000502:physiology*; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010741:Phospholipases A; D008550:Melatonin