title: Melatonin decreases levels of S100β and NFΚB, increases levels of synaptophysin in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The effect of treatment with melatonin was investigated in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) involving a single intra-hippocampal injection of amyloid peptide Aβ1-42. Thirty days after this injection immunohistochemical analysis revealed significant increases of both S-100β and NFκB in cortex and hippocampus of treated animals. Levels of synaptophysin were depressed following treatment and this was confirmed by Western blotting. Histopathological studies revealed a diminution of neuronal cell number in the CA3 area of the hippocampus. Behaviorally, the rate of learning escape from electroshock using a maze box was diminished in Aβ-treated mice. Another group of A treated also received an oral gavage of 0.5 mg/kg melatonin on each of the 30 days between Aβ treatment and sacrifice. The effect of this repeated melatonin exposure was to reverse Aβ-induced changes in CA3 cell number and S-100 levels. The increased cerebral content of NF-κB and the behavioral changes caused by A treatment were partially reversed by melatonin. However, melatonin administration had no effect on the reduced level of synaptophysin in Aβ-treated mice. Overall, these findings suggest that melatonin may exert a potentially beneficial effect upon the progression of AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1825, USA.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fengzhen
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Puyuan
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wenwen
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bondy
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D056654:CA3 Region, Hippocampal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D016708:Synaptophysin; D008550:Melatonin