Beeching Simon C, Ruland Hanna E, Sparks Katelyn M
Department of Biology, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, USA.
Physiol Rep. 2025 Jan;13(2):e70151. doi: 10.14814/phy2.70151.
Melatonin is a multifunctional biomolecule with demonstrated stimulatory, inhibitory, and antioxidant effects, including both receptor-mediated and receptor-independent mechanisms of action. One of its more perplexing effects is the disruption of regeneration in planaria. Head regeneration in planaria is a remarkable phenomenon in which stem cells (neoblasts) migrate to the wound site, proliferate, then differentiate into all functional tissue types within days of injury. We investigated how both the timing and duration of melatonin exposure affect head regeneration in the planaria Phagocata gracilis (Haldeman). Our results demonstrate that P. gracilis is capable of recovery from the melatonin-induced delay of regeneration and reveal the time required to recover to control levels. Further, we found evidence of regenerative stage-specific responses to discontinuous melatonin exposure, including non-inhibitory effects. Further exploration of melatonin's effects on regeneration can be targeted to specific regenerative processes, and the possibility of multiple mechanisms of action should be recognized.
褪黑素是一种多功能生物分子,具有已证实的刺激、抑制和抗氧化作用,包括受体介导和非受体介导的作用机制。其更令人困惑的作用之一是干扰涡虫的再生。涡虫的头部再生是一个显著的现象,其中干细胞(新生细胞)迁移到伤口部位,增殖,然后在受伤后的几天内分化为所有功能组织类型。我们研究了褪黑素暴露的时间和持续时间如何影响纤细食蜗蛭(哈迪曼)的头部再生。我们的结果表明,纤细食蜗蛭能够从褪黑素诱导的再生延迟中恢复,并揭示了恢复到对照水平所需的时间。此外,我们发现了对间歇性褪黑素暴露的再生阶段特异性反应的证据,包括非抑制作用。对褪黑素对再生影响的进一步探索可以针对特定的再生过程,并且应该认识到多种作用机制的可能性。