Effects of Melatonin on Liver Injuries and Diseases.
Liver injuries and diseases are serious health problems worldwide. Various factors, such as chemical pollutants, drugs, and alcohol, could induce liver injuries. Liver diseases involve a wide range of liver pathologies, including hepatic steatosis, fatty liver, hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocarcinoma. Despite all the studies performed up to now, therapy choices for liver injuries and diseases are very few. Therefore, the search for a new treatment that could safely and effectively block or reverse liver injuries and diseases remains a priority. Melatonin is a well-known natural antioxidant, and has many bioactivities. There are numerous studies investigating the effects of melatonin on liver injuries and diseases, and melatonin could regulate various molecular pathways, such as inflammation, proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and autophagy in different pathophysiological situations. Melatonin could be used for preventing and treating liver injuries and diseases. Herein, we conduct a review summarizing the potential roles of melatonin in liver injuries and diseases, paying special attention to the mechanisms of action.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. zhangjj46@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
Jiao-Jiao
JJ
Zhang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. mengx7@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
Xiao
X
Meng
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. liya28@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
Ya
Y
Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. zhouyue3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
Yue
Y
Zhou
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. xudp@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
Dong-Ping
DP
Xu
School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China. u3003781@connect.hku.hk.
Sha
S
Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. lihuabin@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|South China Sea Bioresource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China. lihuabin@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Hua-Bin
HB
Li
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001343:Autophagy; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D008550:Melatonin
cirrhosis; effect; fatty liver; fibrosis; hepatitis; hepatocarcinoma; liver injuries; melatonin; steatosis