Li Chunjin, Zhou Xu
College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, 5333 Xi'an Avenue, Changchun, Jilin Province 130062, PR China.
College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, 5333 Xi'an Avenue, Changchun, Jilin Province 130062, PR China.
Clin Chim Acta. 2015 Jun 15;446:175-80. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2015.04.029. Epub 2015 Apr 25.
Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland whose concentrations in the body are regulated by both the dark-light and seasonal cycles. The reproductive function of seasonal breeding animals is clearly influenced by the circadian variation in melatonin levels. Moreover, a growing body of evidence indicates that melatonin has important effects in the reproduction of some non-seasonal breeding animals. In males, melatonin affects reproductive regulation in three main ways. First, it regulates the secretion of two key neurohormones, GnRH and LH. Second, it regulates testosterone synthesis and testicular maturation. Third, as a potent free radical scavenger that is both lipophilic and hydrophilic, it prevents testicular damage caused by environmental toxins or inflammation. This review summarizes the existing data on the possible biological roles of melatonin in male reproduction. Overall, the literature data indicate that melatonin affects the secretion of both gonadotropins and testosterone while also improving sperm quality. This implies that it has important effects on the regulation of testicular development and male reproduction.
褪黑素是一种由松果体分泌的神经激素，其在体内的浓度受明暗周期和季节周期的调节。季节性繁殖动物的生殖功能明显受到褪黑素水平昼夜变化的影响。此外，越来越多的证据表明，褪黑素在一些非季节性繁殖动物的生殖中具有重要作用。在雄性动物中，褪黑素主要通过三种方式影响生殖调节。第一，它调节两种关键神经激素促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）和促黄体生成素（LH）的分泌。第二，它调节睾酮的合成和睾丸成熟。第三，作为一种既亲脂又亲水的强效自由基清除剂，它可防止环境毒素或炎症引起的睾丸损伤。本综述总结了关于褪黑素在雄性生殖中可能的生物学作用的现有数据。总体而言，文献数据表明，褪黑素会影响促性腺激素和睾酮的分泌，同时还能提高精子质量。这意味着它对睾丸发育和雄性生殖的调节具有重要作用。
