Can Melatonin Help Us in Radiation Oncology Treatments?

Table 1

Various studies presenting the protective effects of melatonin against irradiation-induced oxidative damage.

Tissue	Dose of irradiation	Dose of melatonin (b.w.)	Effect of melatonin on measured parameters in irradiated animals	Reference
Serum	2 and 4 Gy whole body single dose	10 mg/kg, daily for 4 days before irradiation	Albumin and total protein levels ↑, urea, total lipid, cholesterol levels and AST, ALP, and GGT activities ↓	[38]
Peripheral blood	5 Gy whole body single dose	5 mg/kg, 30 min before irradiation	Leukocyte and thrombocyte counts ↑	[46]
Peripheral blood	2 and 8 Gy whole body single dose	10 mg/kg, 30 min before irradiation	Lymphocyte count, SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT activity ↑, NO ↓	[14]
Liver, lung, colon, and ileum	8 Gy whole body single dose	10 mg/kg, immediately before and daily for 3 days after irradiation	MDA and MPO levels ↓, GSH level ↑	[39]
Liver	6 Gy whole body single dose	5 and 10 mg/kg, 30 min before irradiation	MDA level ↓, SOD and GSH-Px activity ↑	[47]
Liver	2 and 4 Gy whole body single dose	10 mg/kg, daily for 4 days before irradiation	Hepatic DNA and RNA contents, GSH level, GST and CAT activity ↑, TBARS and protein carbonyl levels ↓	[38]
Liver	10 Gy whole body single dose	30 mg/kg, immediately before and daily for 3 days after irradiation	MDA level ↓ and GSH level ↑	[40]
Cavernosum and urinary bladder	8 Gy whole body single dose	10 mg/kg, immediately before and daily for 3 days after irradiation	MDA level ↓ and GSH level ↑	[48]
Lens	5 Gy total cranium single dose	5 mg/kg, daily for 10 days before irradiation	MDA level ↓, SOD and GSH-Px activity ↑	[29]
Lens	5 and 8 Gy total cranium single dose	30 mg/kg, immediately before and 5 mg/kg daily for 10 days after irradiation	MDA level ↓ and GSH level ↑	[41]
Brain	7.2 Gy whole body in two equal fractions 12 h apart	100 mg/kg, daily for 5 days after irradiation	MDA level, rates of edema, necrosis and neuronal degeneration ↓	[45]
Cerebellum	4 Gy whole body single dose	0.01 mg/kg (orally), daily for 15 days before irradiation	GSH level ↑, TBARS level, number and volume of purkinje cells ↓	[49]
Spinal cord	22 Gy spinal cord area single dose	100 mg/kg, 30 min before irradiation	GSH level ↑, MDA level, demyelination and clinical sign of myelopathy ↓	[43]

Note. ↓: decrease; ↑: increase; MDA: malondialdehyde; MPO: myeloperoxidase; GSH: glutathione; SOD: super oxide dismutase; GSH-Px: glutathione peroxidase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALP: alkaline phosphatase; GGT: gamma-glutamyltransferase; GST: glutathione-S-transferase; CAT: catalase; TBARS: thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; b.w.: body weight.