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Published on: September 27, 2013
Melatonin modulation of lymphocyte proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine expression
1Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA.
Insights
Melatonin, a hormone, was found to boost human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation in vitro. This effect may be linked to reduced levels of the inhibitory cytokine Interleukin-10 (IL-10).
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Melatonin is a hormone with potential neuroimmunomodulatory functions.
- Its specific effects on human immune cell function require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro effects of melatonin on human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation.
- To examine the impact of melatonin on T helper type 1 (Th1) and T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine expression.
Main Methods:
- Human PBMCs were cultured with varying melatonin concentrations (10(-12) - 10(-6) M).
- PBMC proliferation was assessed.
- Cytokine expression (IFN-gamma, IL-10) and activation antigen (CD69) were measured using flow cytometry and culture supernatant analysis.
Main Results:
- Physiologic doses of melatonin significantly increased PBMC proliferation (p<0.05).
- Melatonin significantly decreased IL-10 production in culture supernatants (p<0.05).
- No significant effects were observed on stimulated IFN-gamma production or intracellular CD69, IFN-gamma, or IL-10 levels.
Conclusions:
- Physiologic doses of melatonin enhance lymphocyte proliferation in vitro.
- This proliferative effect may be mediated by a reduction in the inhibitory cytokine IL-10.
- Melatonin's role in neuroimmunomodulation warrants further investigation.
Abstract:
Melatonin is hypothesized to play a role in neuroimmunomodulation. This study investigated the in vitro effects of melatonin (10(-12) - 10(-6) M) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and T helper type 1 and T helper type 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine expression. In vitro doses of melatonin significantly increased PBMC proliferation (p<0.05) and decreased IL-10 production in culture supernatants (p<0.05). However, there was no effect of melatonin on the stimulated production of IFN-gamma or on the intracellular accumulation of the activation antigen CD69, IFN-gamma, or IL-10 as measured by flow cytometry. These data support the notion that physiologic doses of melatonin increase lymphocyte proliferation possibly due to decreases in production of the inhibitory cytokine IL-10.
