The antioxidant effects of melatonin after intracerebral hemorrhage in rats

Free radical mechanisms are involved in secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Since melatonin is a potent free radical scavenger and indirect antioxidant, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether melatonin administration would attenuate oxidative stress, brain edema, and neurological deficits in a rat model of ICH. Animals were assigned into groups consisting of sham (needle trauma), vehicle, and melatonin (15 or 150 mg/kg). All injections occurred through the intraperitoneal route, at either 15 min or 3 h after collagenase ICH induction. Then, lipid peroxidation, neurological scoring (18-point system), and brain water content were evaluated at 24h post-ICH. Results demonstrated dramatically increased lipid peroxidation after collagenase-induced ICH; however, melatonin treatment effectively attenuated this lipid peroxidation. Nonetheless, neurological scoring and brain water content in the right basal ganglia was without significant difference between any treatment regimens (15 or 150 mg/kg of melatonin) or time points of drug administration (15 min or 3 h post-ICH). Therefore, melatonin reduced oxidative stress but did not change extent of brain edema or neurologic deficits.