Role of pineal melatonin and melatonin-induced-immuno-opioids in murine leukemogenesis

Riferimento: 
Med Oncol Tumor Pharmacother. 1992;9(2):87-92.
Autori: 
Conti A, Haran-Ghera N, Maestroni GJ.
Fonte: 
Laboratory for Experimental Pathology, Istituto Cantonale di Patologia, Locarno, Switzerland.
Anno: 
1992
Azione: 
Accelerated leukemogenesis whereas the surgical pinealectomy and the functional pinealectomy delayed it.
Target: 
Daily melatonin 4 mg/kg b.w.

Abstract

The relationship between the pineal gland, melatonin and melatonin-induced-immuno-opioids with the response of C57Bl/6 mice to A-RadLV induced T cell lymphomas was investigated. Mice were injected at day 0 with A-RadLV and from day 10 they were treated chronically with melatonin 4 mg/kg body weight, naltrexone 1 mg/kg or phosphate buffered saline, throughout the experiment. In another protocol, groups of mice were a) surgical pinealectomized at day-14, b) functional pinealectomized (24:24 hours light) from day -20 and c) sham pinealectomized. At day 0 each group was inoculated intrathymically with A-RadLV. The results show that melatonin accelerated (p < 0.005) leukemogenesis whereas the surgical pinealectomy and the functional pinealectomy delayed it (p < 0.005 and p < 0.01). Moreover, the action of melatonin was blocked by naltrexone (p < 0.005), indicating the involvement of melatonin-induced-immuno-opioids in the development of the lymphomas.

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