Waldhauser F, Weiszenbacher G, Tatzer E, Gisinger B, Waldhauser M, Schemper M, Frisch H
Department of Pediatrics, University of Vienna, Austria.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988 Mar;66(3):648-52. doi: 10.1210/jcem-66-3-648.
The available data on potential alterations in serum melatonin (MLT) levels during a human lifetime are fragmentary and inconsistent. We, therefore, measured day- and nighttime serum MLT concentrations in 367 subjects (210 males and 157 females), aged 3 days to 90 yr. Blood samples were collected between 0730 and 1000 h and between 2300 and 0100 h. Serum MLT levels were measured by RIA. The mean nighttime serum MLT concentration was low during the first 6 months of life, i.e. 27.3 +/- 5.4 (+/- SE) pg/mL (0.12 +/- 0.02 nmol/L). It then increased to a peak value at 1-3 yr of age [329.5 +/- 42.0 pg/mL; (1.43 +/- 0.18 nmol/L)], and it was considerably lower [62.5 +/- 9.0 pg/mL; (0.27 +/- 0.04 nmol/L)] in individuals aged 15-20 yr. During the following decades serum MLT declined moderately until old age (70-90 yr of age), i.e. 29.2 +/- 6.1 pg/mL (0.13 +/- 0.03 nmol/L). This biphasic MLT decline follows 2 exponential functions with different slopes (from age 1-20 yr: r = -0.56; P less than 0.001; y = 278.7 X e -0.09x; from age 20-90 yr: r = -0.44; P less than 0.001; y = 84.8 X e -0.017x). The decrease in nocturnal serum MLT in children and adolescents (1-20 yr) correlated with the increase in body weight (r = -0.54; P less than 0.001) and body surface area (r = -0.71; P less than 0.001). At a later age (20-90 yr) there was no correlation among these variables. Daytime serum MLT levels were low and no age-related alterations were found. This study revealed major age-related alterations in nocturnal serum MLT levels. The negative correlation between serum MLT and body weight in childhood and adolescence is evidence that expansion of body size is responsible for the huge MLT decrease during that period. The moderate decline at older ages must derive from other factors.
关于人类一生中血清褪黑素（MLT）水平潜在变化的现有数据零碎且不一致。因此，我们测量了367名年龄在3天至90岁之间的受试者（210名男性和157名女性）白天和夜间的血清MLT浓度。在0730至1000时以及2300至0100时采集血样。血清MLT水平通过放射免疫分析法测定。出生后头6个月夜间血清MLT平均浓度较低，即27.3±5.4（±SE）pg/mL（0.12±0.02 nmol/L）。随后在1至3岁时升至峰值[329.5±42.0 pg/mL；（1.43±0.18 nmol/L）]，而在15至20岁个体中则显著降低[62.5±9.0 pg/mL；（0.27±0.04 nmol/L）]。在接下来的几十年中，血清MLT适度下降直至老年（70至90岁），即29.2±6.1 pg/mL（0.13±0.03 nmol/L）。这种双相性MLT下降遵循两个斜率不同的指数函数（1至20岁：r = -0.56；P<0.001；y = 278.7×e -0.09x；20至90岁：r = -0.44；P<0.001；y = 84.8×e -0.017x）。儿童和青少年（1至20岁）夜间血清MLT的降低与体重增加（r = -0.54；P<0.001）和体表面积增加（r = -0.71；P<0.001）相关。在晚年（20至90岁），这些变量之间无相关性。白天血清MLT水平较低，未发现与年龄相关的变化。本研究揭示了夜间血清MLT水平与年龄相关的主要变化。儿童和青少年时期血清MLT与体重之间的负相关证明，在此期间体型扩大是MLT大幅下降的原因。老年时MLT的适度下降必定源于其他因素。
