title: The effect of melatonin on antioxidant enzymes in human diabetic skin fibroblasts.
abstract: Melatonin plays several important physiological functions in mammals, such as immune enhancement and regulation of dark-light signal transduction. Melatonin is also known to be an endogenous free radical scavenger and an efficient antioxidant. It detoxifies a variety of free radicals and reactive oxygen intermediates, including the hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen and nitric oxide. These radicals participate in many diseases, for example diabetes. This study determined the effect of melatonin on the antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the level of glutathione (GSH) in human diabetic (C2 line) skin fibroblasts. Confluent monolayers of control (S2 line) and diabetic (C2 line) skin fibroblasts were incubated with different concentrations of melatonin: 10, 50, 100 and 1000 micromol/l at 37 degrees C for 24 h. Next, the GSH level and SOD, CAT and GPx activities were measured colorimetrically. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes and the GSH level were lower in diabetic skin fibroblasts than in the control S2 line. Concentrations of melatonin of 100 and 1000 micromol/l caused a significant increase in the enzymes' activities and GSH level.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Biophysics, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kilańczyk
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bryszewska
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000187:drug effects; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; D008550:Melatonin