Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicina, University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.
Molecules. 2018 Feb 6;23(2):336. doi: 10.3390/molecules23020336.
The objective of this article is to review the basis supporting the usefulness of melatonin as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer (BC) prevention in several groups of individuals at high risk for this disease. Melatonin, as a result of its antiestrogenic and antioxidant properties, as well as its ability to improve the efficacy and reduce the side effects of conventional antiestrogens, could safely be associated with the antiestrogenic drugs presently in use. In individuals at risk of BC due to night shift work, the light-induced inhibition of melatonin secretion, with the consequent loss of its antiestrogenic effects, would be countered by administering this neurohormone. BC risk from exposure to metalloestrogens, such as cadmium, could be treated with melatonin supplements to individuals at risk of BC due to exposure to this xenoestrogen. The BC risk related to obesity may be reduced by melatonin which decrease body fat mass, inhibits the enhanced aromatase expression in obese women, increases adiponectin secretion, counteracts the oncogenic effects of elevated concentrations of leptin; and decreases blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. Despite compelling experimental evidence of melatonin's oncostatic actions being susceptible to lowering BC risk, there is still a paucity of clinical trials focused on this subject.
本文旨在回顾支持褪黑素作为辅助疗法用于预防乳腺癌（BC）的基础，该方法适用于几种高危人群。褪黑素具有抗雌激素和抗氧化特性，并且能够提高常规抗雌激素药物的疗效并降低其副作用，因此可以安全地与目前使用的抗雌激素药物联合使用。对于因夜班工作而有患乳腺癌风险的人群，可以通过给予这种神经激素来抵消光照抑制褪黑素分泌从而丧失其抗雌激素作用。对于因接触金属雌激素（如镉）而有患乳腺癌风险的人群，可以使用褪黑素补充剂来治疗这种外源性雌激素暴露引起的乳腺癌风险。褪黑素可降低体脂质量，抑制肥胖女性中芳香酶表达的增强，增加脂联素的分泌，抵消瘦素浓度升高的致癌作用，并降低血糖水平和胰岛素抵抗，从而降低与肥胖相关的乳腺癌风险。尽管有大量实验证据表明褪黑素的抗肿瘤作用可能降低乳腺癌的风险，但针对这一主题的临床试验仍然很少。
