Stress is known to produce many effects on the body as 62 -free
radical production, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and
hypertriglyceridemia. Melatonin is known to be a highly efficient free
radical scavenger, it is also known to produce some metabolic changes.
Little is known about the role of melatonin in stress. The aim of the
present work was to study the effect of melatonin on stress induced C>2 -free
radical production, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and
hypertriglyceridemia. The results obtained showed that immobilization stress
caused a significant increase in the plasma level of ()2 -free radical, as
indicated by the plasma level of malondialdehyde (MDA), glucose,
cholesterol and triglycerides (P < 0.05). Melatonin administration prior to
stress caused a significant decrease in the stress-induced 62 free radical
production, (P < 0.01) while it has no significant effect on the stress
induced hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia.
Thus, the present study might give a new meaning for the emerging role of
melatonin as anti-stress hormone.
INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF THE WORK
Stress is known to produce multiple effects in the body as
hyperglycemia(1), hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia(2).
Recently stress was found to be one of the processes that generate free
radicals(3). These free radicals have received a great deal of investigative
interest because they exert extensive damage to cells, tissues and organs.
Melatonin is known to be highly efficient free radical scavenger in
different situations as ischemia reperfusion injury(4] and ionizing
radiation(5). Melatonin also, is known to affect some metabolic parameters
as plasma glucose(6) cholesterol* and triglyccridcs(8).
Little is known about the effect of melatonin on the stress-induced
02 -free radical production and metabolic changes.
Bull. Egypt. Soc. Physiol. Sci., 17 (2-Suppl.) 1997 198
Ahmed I. Agamy and awad M. EI-Abd
The aim of the present work is to study the effect of melatonin
administration on the stress-induced 62 free radical production (as j
indicated by the level of plasma MDA) and stress induced hyperglycemia,
hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. |
