Melatonin Protects Against Free Radical Damage from Fluoride
The hormone melatonin can protect against the damage that excessive fluoride causes to brain cells, researchers report in a new study.
Fluoride becomes toxic at higher doses and induces some adverse effects on various organs, including the brain. Past studies have shown that melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, can promote the survival of brain cells. Melatonin also is associated with healthy blood pressure levels, retinal and liver health and enhanced immunity. Therefore, scientists set out to determine if melatonin could protect the brain against the free radical damage caused by fluoride.
The researchers divided 24 rats into four groups. During the 28-day study, one group served as the control, another group received only fluoride, a third group received melatonin plus fluoride and a fourth group received fluoride plus a pineal protein derived from buffalos. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and markers of free radical damage in the brain tissue were measured to assess the level of oxidative stress.
Fluoride administration significantly increased brain levels of a marker of free radical damage and markedly reduced activity of a number of antioxidant enzymes compared with the control group. When melatonin was administered to the animals, however, it decreased the marker of free radical damage and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The animal-derived pineal protein had a similar effect.
The researchers wrote, “Together, our data provide direct evidence that buffalo pineal protein and melatonin may protect fluoride-induced oxidative stress in brain of rats through mechanisms involving enhancement of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system. Therefore, this study suggested that pineal protein and melatonin can be useful in control of neurotoxicity induced by fluoride.�?BR>
Reference:
Bharti VK, Srivastava RS. Fluoride-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rat"s Brain and Its Amelioration by Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Pineal Proteins and Melatonin. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2009 Jan 22. Published Online Ahead of Print.
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