Effect of melatonin on altered expression of vasoregulatory genes during hepatic ischemia/reperfusion

The production of reactive oxygen species during hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) can help create disturbances in microcirculation. This study examined the effect of melatonin, a pineal secretory product and a potent antioxidant, on the expression of vascular stress genes during hepatic I/R. Rats were subjected to 60 min of hepatic warm ischemia followed by 5 h reperfusion. Melatonin (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 15 min before ischemia and immediately before reperfusion. The serum alanine aminotransferase and hepatic malondialdehyde levels increased markedly after I/R. These increases were significantly inhibited by melatonin. The levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptor, ET(B) mRNA, were elevated by I/R but attenuated by melatonin. The mRNA levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and heme oxygenase-1 were significantly higher after I/ R. Melatonin augmented the increase in the eNOS mRNA level, whereas it reduced the increase in the iNOS mRNA level. The expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was increased markedly by I/R. This increase was also attenuated by melatonin. These results suggest that melatonin ameliorates the imbalanced expression of the vascular stress genes during hepatic I/R through its antioxidant property.