[Research progress on antioxidant mechanism of melatonin in reducing neonatal lung injury]

The etiology of neonatal lung injury is complicated. Because neonatal lungs are immature in the vesicles and alveolar period, they are easy to be injured by various factors. Clinically, the main manifestations of neonatal lung injury are refractory hypoxemia, respiratory distress, and decreased lung compliance, etc. In recent years, newborn treatment technology has been rapidly developed, but the incidence of neonatal lung injury is still very high, so more attention has been paid by the medical community. Oxidative stress refers to a state of imbalance between oxidation and antioxidant in the body. After newborns transition from amniotic fluid to the air, oxidative stress is relatively higher in the first few weeks of life, and oxidative stress injury will be further aggravated under the stimulation of adverse factors. Melatonin, as an important antioxidant factor in the human body, participates in many vital physiological and pathological processes, and can directly scavenge oxygen free radicals, enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes, inhibit cell apoptosis. Researches have showed that the antioxidant properties of melatonin played an important role in neonatal lung injury, however, the specific mechanism has not yet been fully clarified. The aim of this article is to review the antioxidant effects of melatonin in neonatal lung injury and provide new ideas for the treatment of neonatal lung injury.