title: The effects of melatonin on humoral immune responses of young and aged rats.
abstract: The pineal gland with its effects on immune system and free radicals may have a role on aging process. In this study, we investigated the effects of melatonin (10 mg/kg/d, s.c. for 7 days), the main secretion of the pineal gland, on the humoral immune responses of aged and young male Wistar rats. Eighteen aged (28 months old; 6 in control group and 12 in melatonin group) and 25 young (9 months old; 10 in control group and 15 in melatonin group) rats were given 4 x 10(8) sheep erythrocytes i.p. in order to evoke humoral immune responses. After a booster injection at the end of a period of three-weeks following the last melatonin injection, IgM and IgG1 levels were measured. Melatonin was found to increase IgG1 and IgM responses of aged rats when compared to controls (p = 0.049 and p = 0.007), respectively. In the young rats, while the IgG1 levels of control group were significantly higher than that of the melatonin group (p =0.021), IgM levels were not significantly different (p = 0.563). It is concluded that exogenous melatonin may augment the depressed humoral immune responses seen aged rats.
authors: Department of Physiology, Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. hakbulut@dialup.ankara.edu.tr
authors: K G
authors: KG
authors: Akbulut
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Gönül
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Akbulut
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008550:Melatonin