Department of Dermatology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Chemoprevention Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Albama, USA; VA Medical Center, Birmingham, Albama, USA.
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
J Invest Dermatol. 2018 Mar;138(3):490-499. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.10.025. Epub 2018 Feb 7.
Melatonin, an evolutionarily ancient derivative of serotonin with hormonal properties, is the main neuroendocrine secretory product of the pineal gland. Although melatonin is best known to regulate circadian rhythmicity and lower vertebrate skin pigmentation, the full spectrum of functional activities of this free radical-scavenging molecule, which also induces/promotes complex antioxidative and DNA repair systems, includes immunomodulatory, thermoregulatory, and antitumor properties. Because this plethora of functional melatonin properties still awaits to be fully appreciated by dermatologists, the current review synthesizes the main features that render melatonin a promising candidate for the management of several dermatoses associated with substantial oxidative damage. We also review why melatonin promises to be useful in skin cancer prevention, skin photo- and radioprotection, and as an inducer of repair mechanisms that facilitate the recovery of human skin from environmental damage. The fact that human skin and hair follicles not only express functional melatonin receptors but also engage in substantial, extrapineal melatonin synthesis further encourages one to systematically explore how the skin's melatonin system can be therapeutically targeted in future clinical dermatology and enrolled for preventive medicine strategies.
褪黑素是一种具有激素特性的、进化上古老的 5-羟色胺衍生物，是松果腺的主要神经内分泌分泌产物。尽管褪黑素最广为人知的作用是调节昼夜节律和降低低等脊椎动物的皮肤色素沉着，但这种自由基清除分子的全部功能活动（包括诱导/促进复杂的抗氧化和 DNA 修复系统）还包括免疫调节、体温调节和抗肿瘤特性。由于皮肤科医生尚未充分了解褪黑素的这些众多功能特性，因此本综述综合了主要特征，这些特征使褪黑素成为几种与大量氧化损伤相关的皮肤病的治疗候选药物。我们还回顾了为什么褪黑素有望在皮肤癌预防、皮肤光保护和放射保护，以及诱导修复机制方面发挥作用，这些修复机制有助于人体皮肤从环境损伤中恢复。事实上，人类皮肤和毛囊不仅表达功能性褪黑素受体，而且还进行大量的、松果腺外的褪黑素合成，这进一步鼓励人们系统地探索如何在未来的临床皮肤科中针对皮肤的褪黑素系统进行治疗，并将其纳入预防医学策略。
