Melatonin promotes peripheral nerve repair through Parkin-mediated mitophagy

Schwann cells (SCs) are the major glial cells in peripheral nervous system. They unsheathe and myelinate axons and play an essential role in peripheral nerve regeneration. Several studies report that Parkin-mediated mitophagy is associated with various diseases. Melatonin promotes proliferation of central glial cells. Little is known about the effect of melatonin and Parkin-mediated mitophagy on peripheral nerve repair. In this study, using a rat model of a peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and in vitro model established by RSC96 cells treated with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), we found that Parkin-mediated mitophagy can effectively reduce the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), maintain the balance of mitochondrial membrane potential, maintain autophagic flux, and inhibit mitochondrial apoptosis. At the same time, we found that the increase of Parkin under stress is a manifestation of the RSC96 cells' resistance to oxidative stress to maintain RSC96 cells' balance. In our experiment, melatonin is similar to a Parkin agonist, up-regulating the expression of Parkin, enhancing all the positive results of Parkin in a stress state, such as inhibiting active oxygen production, maintaining autophagic flux, and inhibiting mitochondrial apoptosis. In addition, we design in vivo experiments to verify in In vitro experiments. In in vivo, melatonin promotes the expression of Parkin, maintains autophagic flux, inhibits apoptosis, promotes myelin regeneration, reduces the regeneration of collagen fibers around damaged tissues, and promotes peripheral nerve repair. When adenovirus was used to down-regulate the expression of Parkin, we found that all the positive effects of melatonin were attenuated. Collectively, these findings indicate that melatonin upregulates Parkin-mediated mitophagy and promotes peripheral nerve repair. The results provide a basis for development of effective drugs for PNI treatment.