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Serotonin and melatonin synthesis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells: stimulation by interferon-gamma as part of
L M Finocchiaro1, E S Arzt, S Fernández-Castelo
1Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Technicas (C.O.N.I.C.E.T.), República Argentina.
Abstract:
Serotonin and melatonin inhibit phytohemagglutinin- (PHA) induced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by lymphocytes. In this paper, it is shown that IFN-gamma-increased tryptophan uptake by lymphocytes and macrophages led to an enhanced production of serotonin. When IFN-gamma and serotonin were added together to a lymphocyte culture, N-acetyl serotonin and melatonin production was increased, whereas the path to 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid remained unchanged. Therefore, the stimulated IFN-gamma production of serotonin and melatonin by lymphocytes and macrophages and the inhibition of IFN-gamma synthesis by these indoleamines suggest a hypothesis for an immunoregulatory circuit.