title: Potential benefits of melatonin in organ transplantation: a review.
abstract: Organ transplantation is a useful therapeutic tool for patients with end-stage organ failure; however, graft rejection is a major obstacle in terms of a successful treatment. Rejection is usually a consequence of a complex immunological and nonimmunological antigen-independent cascade of events, including free radical-mediated ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). To reduce the frequency of this outcome, continuing improvements in the efficacy of antirejection drugs are a top priority to enhance the long-term survival of transplant recipients. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a powerful antioxidant and ant-inflammatory agent synthesized from the essential amino acid l-tryptophan; it is produced by the pineal gland as well as by many other organs including ovary, testes, bone marrow, gut, placenta, and liver. Melatonin has proven to be a potentially useful therapeutic tool in the reduction of graft rejection. Its benefits are based on its direct actions as a free radical scavenger as well as its indirect antioxidative actions in the stimulation of the cellular antioxidant defense system. Moreover, it has significant anti-inflammatory activity. Melatonin has been found to improve the beneficial effects of preservation fluids when they are enriched with the indoleamine. This article reviews the experimental evidence that melatonin is useful in reducing graft failure, especially in cardiac, bone, otolaryngology, ovarian, testicular, lung, pancreas, kidney, and liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyUniversity of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain eezubero@gmail.com reiter@uthscsa.edu.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esteban-Zubero
authors.affiliation: Department of SurgeryGynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco Agustín
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: García-Gil
authors.affiliation: Department of MedicinePsychiatry and Dermatology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López-Pingarrón
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Moisés Alejandro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alatorre-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Department of MedicinePsychiatry and Dermatology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iñigo-Gil
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Dun-Xian
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyUniversity of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: José Joaquín
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Structural BiologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA eezubero@gmail.com reiter@uthscsa.edu.
authors.forename: Russel J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reiter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: graft failure; ischemia-reperfusion injury; melatonin; organ transplantation; preservation fluids