Hyperglycemia-Related Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Potential Beneficial Actions of Melatonin

Title: Hyperglycemia-Related Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Potential Beneficial Actions of Melatonin

Volume: 8 Issue: 11

Author(s): Ahmet Korkmaz, Turgut Topal, Sukru Oter, Dun-Xian Tan and Russel J. Reiter

Affiliation:

Keywords: Hyperglycemia, free radicals, peroxynitrite, DNA damage, melatonin

Abstract: Chronically-elevated blood glucose initiates a harmful series of processes in which toxic reactive species play crucial roles. Oxidative as well as nitro-oxidative stress is harmful for virtually all biomolecules including lipids, proteins and DNA. Such pathophysiologic mechanisms eventually results in cellular dysfunction, apoptosis or necrosis. Melatonin is a multifunctional indolamine which counteracts several pathophysiologic steps and displays significant beneficial effects against hyperglycemia-induced cellular toxicity. These are related to melatonins antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and possibly epigenetic regulatory properties. Current knowledge encourages using this non-toxic indolamine either as a sole treatment or in conjunction with other treatments for inhibition of the biohazards of hyperglycemia.

Cite this article as:

Korkmaz Ahmet, Topal Turgut, Oter Sukru, Tan Dun-Xian and Reiter J. Russel, Hyperglycemia-Related Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Potential Beneficial Actions of Melatonin, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2008; 8 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138955708785909925