Possible Involvement of the Inhibition of NF-[kappa]B Factor in Anti-Inflammatory Actions That Melatonin Exerts on Mast Cells

• Published in: Journal of cellular biochemistry Vol. 117; no. 8; p. 1926
• Main Authors: Maldonado, MD, Garcia-Moreno, H, Gonzalez-Yanes, C, Calvo, JR
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2016
• ISSN: 0730-2312; 1097-4644
• DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25491

Melatonin is a molecule endogenously produced in a wide variety of immune cells, including mast cells (RBL-2H3). It exhibits immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. The physiologic mechanisms underlying these activities of melatonin have not been clarified in mast cells. This work is designed to determine the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of action of melatonin on activated mast cells. RBL-2H3 were pre-treated with exogenous melatonin (MELx) at physiological (100nM) and pharmacological (1mM) doses for 30min, washed and activated with PMACI (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus calcium ionophore A23187) for 2h and 12h. The data shows that pre-treatment of MELx in stimulated mast cells, significantly reduced the levels of endogenous melatonin production (MELn), TNF-[alpha] and IL-6. These effects are directly related with the MELx concentration used. MELx also inhibited IKK/NF-[kappa]B signal transduction pathway in stimulated mast cells. These results indicate a molecular basis for the ability of melatonin to prevent inflammation and for the treatment of allergic inflammatory diseases through the down-regulation of mast cell activation. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1926-1933, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.