title: Physiological levels of melatonin enhance gap junction communication in primary cultures of mouse hepatocytes.
abstract: Gap junction communication is known to be involved in controlling cell proliferation and differentiation, and seems to play a crucial role in suppression of tumor promotion. Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, has putative oncostatic properties. Intercellular communication through gap junctions was assessed by microinjecting Lucifer yellow fluorescent dye into primary hepatocytes and visualizing the spread of the dye to adjacent neighboring cells using phase contrast/fluorescent microscopy. Treatment of primary hepatocyte cultures with a physiological range of melatonin concentrations for 24 h prior to microinjection resulted in significant enhancement in intercellular communication at 0.2 and 0.4 nmol/L but not at lower (0.1 nmol/L) or higher (0.8 or 1.0 nmol/L) concentrations. A time-dependent study showed that the changes in intercellular communication began 10 h after melatonin treatment and reached a maximum at 12 h of treatment. This nonlinear, functional gap junction response to melatonin occurred in the physiological concentration range detected in blood of mammals during nightly releases of the hormone by the pineal gland. These melatonin levels may affect the ability of gap junction communication to exert cell growth control in vivo. The uneven decline between individuals in nocturnal release of melatonin that occurs with age could identify potentially sensitive subpopulations susceptible to developing pathologies involving alterations in biological processes dependent on gap junction communication.
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA. blackman.carl@epa.gov
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Blackman
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ubeda
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: House
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Trillo
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pimentel
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007546:Isoquinolines; C017475:lucifer yellow; D008550:Melatonin