title: Mechanisms involved in the pro-apoptotic effect of melatonin in cancer cells.
abstract: It is well established that melatonin exerts antitumoral effects in many cancer types, mostly decreasing cell proliferation at low concentrations. On the other hand, induction of apoptosis by melatonin has been described in the last few years in some particular cancer types. The cytotoxic effect occurs after its administration at high concentrations, and the molecular pathways involved have been only partially determined. Moreover, a synergistic effect has been found in several cancer types when it is administered in combination with chemotherapeutic agents. In the present review, we will summarize published work on the pro-apoptotic effect of melatonin in cancer cells and the reported mechanisms involved in such action. We will also construct a hypothesis on how different cell signaling pathways may relate each other on account for such effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, c/Julian Claveria 6, 33006 Oviedo, Spain. carro@uniovi.es.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Vanesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Santos
authors.forename: Jezabel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Blanco
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casado-Zapico
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Sánchez
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Puente-Moncada
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Anítua
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antolín
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin