Melatonin as a Therapeutic Resource for Inflammatory Visual Diseases

Title:Melatonin as a Therapeutic Resource for Inflammatory Visual Diseases

Volume: 15 Issue: 7

Author(s): Marcos L. Aranda, María Florencia González Fleitas, Hernán Dieguez, Agustina Iaquinandi, Pablo H. Sande, Damián Dorfman and Ruth E. Rosenstein*

Affiliation:

• Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine, CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires, CONICET, Paraguay 2155, 5th Floor, (1121), Buenos Aires,Argentina

Keywords: Melatonin, uveitis, optic neuritis, ocular inflammation, oxidative damage, nitrosative damage.

Abstract: Background: Uveitis and optic neuritis are prevalent ocular inflammatory diseases, and highly damaging ocular conditions. Both diseases are currently treated with corticosteroids, but they do not have adequate efficacy and are often associated with severe side effects. Thus, uveitis and optic neuritis remain a challenging field to ophthalmologists and a significant public health concern.

Objective: This review summarizes findings showing the benefits of a treatment with melatonin in experimental models of these inflammatory ocular diseases.

Results: Oxidative and nitrosative damage, tumor necrosis factor, and prostaglandin production have been involved in the pathogeny of uveitis and optic neuritis. Melatonin is an efficient antioxidant and antinitridergic, and has the ability to reduce prostaglandin and tumor necrosis factor levels both in the retina and optic nerve. Moreover, melatonin not only prevents functional and structural consequences of experimental uveitis and optic neuritis, but it is also capable of suppressing the actively ongoing ocular inflammatory response.

Conclusions: Since melatonin protects ocular tissues against inflammation, it could be a potentially useful anti-inflammatory therapy in ophthalmology.

Cite this article as:

Aranda L. Marcos, Fleitas Florencia González María, Dieguez Hernán, Iaquinandi Agustina, Sande H. Pablo, Dorfman Damián and Rosenstein E. Ruth*, Melatonin as a Therapeutic Resource for Inflammatory Visual Diseases, Current Neuropharmacology 2017; 15 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X15666170113122120

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X15666170113122120	Print ISSN 1570-159X
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-6190