The effect of melatonin on endotoxemia-induced intestinal apoptosis and oxidative stress in infant rats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of melatonin on the intestinal apoptosis along with oxidative damage in endotoxemic infant rats.


METHODS
Prospective animal study in a university-based experimental research laboratory.


METHODS
Wistar albino 7-day-old rat pups (n=21). The animals were randomized into three experimental groups: (1) controls; (2) endotoxemia; (3) endotoxemia treated with melatonin (10mg/kg). Endotoxemia was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (Escherichia coli serotype 0111:B4; 3 mg/kg).


RESULTS
Four hours after LPS injection, the antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, were determined. Intestinal apoptosis was assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated fluorescein-dUTP nick end labeling. The administration of melatonin into endotoxemic rats prevented the increase in the TBARS levels, and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and attenuated apoptotic cell death in both intestinal epithelium and lamina propria.


CONCLUSIONS
Melatonin diminished the intestinal oxidative stress and apoptotic damage induced by endotoxemia in infant rats.
Ozdemir
Durgul
D
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, 35340, Izmir, Turkey.
Uysal
Nazan
N
Tugyan
Kazim
K
Gonenc
Sevil
S
Acikgoz
Osman
O
Aksu
Ilkay
I
Ozkan
Hasan
H
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
D000975:Antioxidants; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D008550:Melatonin