title: Beneficial properties of melatonin in an experimental model of pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer is a major health problem because of the aggressiveness of the disease and the lack of effective systemic therapies. Melatonin has antioxidant activity and prevents experimental genotoxicity. However, the effect of melatonin in pancreatic cancer has not been tested. Pancreatic carcinogenesis was induced by N-nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) in Syrian hamsters. Melatonin was administered during the BOP-induction phase (12 wk) and/or following the postinduction phase (12 wk). Different parameters of oxidative stress including lipid peroxides (LPO) and antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase) were determined in pancreatic tissue. Also, the presence of atypical hyperplasia (AH), well and moderately differentiated adenomacarcinoma (ADC-WD and ADC-MD, respectively) were studied. The administration of BOP induced an intense oxidative stress and ADC induction in the pancreas. The administration of melatonin during the induction or postinduction phase reduced LPO and improved the antioxidant status, as well as drastically reducing the presence of ADC but some AH remained. In conclusion, treatment with melatonin reduced oxidative damage and cancer nodules induced by BOP in the pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Rabelo
authors.forename: Reyes
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: María D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Perea
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Villanueva
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Túnez
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montilla
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muntané
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Padillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*