title: Melatonin improves humoral and cell-mediated immune responses of male golden hamster following stress induced by dexamethasone.
abstract: Melatonin is known as an antistress and immunostimulator compound while glucocorticoids have immunosuppressive function. The mechanism of action of both the hormones on immune cells is still a question. We found that melatonin improved the effect of dexamethasone (synthetic glucocorticoid) induced immunosuppression of splenocytes and bone marrow GM-CFU along with increased production of serum IL-2, IgG and the receptor expression for melatonin and glucocorticoid in spleen that might be responsible for the proliferation of immune cells. Thus, seasonal variation in peripheral melatonin might be responsible for the improvement of immune status under different stress conditions experienced by the rodents for better survival.
authors.affiliation: Pineal Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India.
authors.forename: Dipanshu Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Vishwas
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Chandana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haldar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006224:Cricetinae; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D055014:Granulocyte-Macrophage Progenitor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008647:Mesocricetus; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003907:Dexamethasone; D008550:Melatonin; D006854:Hydrocortisone