Melatonin biosynthesis in the thymus of humans and rats |
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| Authors: | M C Naranjo J M Guerrero A Rubio P J Lardone A Carrillo-Vico M P Carrascosa-Salmoral S Jiménez-Jorge M V Arellano S R Leal-Noval M Leal E Lissen P Molinero |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Seville School of Medicine and Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Avda. Sánchez Pizjuán 4, 41009 Seville, Spain;(2) Critical Care Division, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain;(3) Viral Hepatitis and AIDS Study Group, Internal Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain |
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| Abstract: | Melatonin is an indoleamine widely distributed in the evolution that shows a great functional versatility, playing an important
role as a transmitter of photoperiodic information and exhibiting antioxidant, oncostatic, anti-aging and immunomodulatory
properties. In vertebrates, this molecule is produced by the pineal gland and other extrapineal sites. The present study was
carried out to investigate the presence of melatonin in thymus and the possibility of an endogenous melatonin synthesis in
this organ, in which T cells are matured. In this work, we demonstrate in humans and rats that thymus contains melatonin,
expresses the mRNAs encoding N-acetyltransferase and hydroxyindol-O-methyltransferase, the two key enzymes of the melatonin synthesis, and has this biosynthetic machinery activated. In addition,
rat thymocytes cultured for 24 h exhibited high levels of melatonin. The results presented here suggest that human and rat
thymuses are able to synthesize melatonin, which could have intracrine, autocrine and paracrine functions.
Received 30 September 2006; received after revision 30 December 2006; accepted 15 February 2007 |
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| Keywords: | Extrapineal melatonin thymus T cells NAT HIOMT neuroimmunomodulation |
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