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      Role of melatonin in embryo fetal development

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          Abstract

          Melatonin is an indoleamine produced by the pineal gland and secreted in a circadian manner. In the past few decades, research over this topic has been enhanced. Melatonin has many important roles in the human physiology: regulator of the circadian rhythms, sleep inducer, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic. This paper reviews the involvement of melatonin in embryo fetal development. The pineal gland develops completely postpartum, so both the embryo and the fetus are dependent on the maternal melatonin provided transplacentally. Melatonin appears to be involved in the normal outcome of pregnancy beginning with the oocyte quality and finishing with the parturition. Its pregnancy night-time concentrations increase after 24 weeks of gestation, with significantly high levels after 32 weeks. Melatonin receptors are widespread in the embryo and fetus since early stages. There is solid evidence that melatonin is neuroprotective and has a positive effect on the outcome of the compromised pregnancies. In addition, chronodisruption leads to a reproductive dysfunction. Thus, the influence of melatonin on the developing human fetus may not be limited to the entertaining of circadian rhythmicity, but further studies are needed.

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          Role of melatonin in the regulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep.

          The circadian rhythm of pineal melatonin is the best marker of internal time under low ambient light levels. The endogenous melatonin rhythm exhibits a close association with the endogenous circadian component of the sleep propensity rhythm. This has led to the idea that melatonin is an internal sleep "facilitator" in humans, and therefore useful in the treatment of insomnia and the readjustment of circadian rhythms. There is evidence that administration of melatonin is able: (i) to induce sleep when the homeostatic drive to sleep is insufficient; (ii) to inhibit the drive for wakefulness emanating from the circadian pacemaker; and (iii) induce phase shifts in the circadian clock such that the circadian phase of increased sleep propensity occurs at a new, desired time. Therefore, exogenous melatonin can act as soporific agent, a chronohypnotic, and/or a chronobiotic. We describe the role of melatonin in the regulation of sleep, and the use of exogenous melatonin to treat sleep or circadian rhythm disorders.
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            Health disorders of shift workers.

            The effects of shift work on physiological function through disruption of circadian rhythms are well described. However, shift work can also be associated with specific pathological disorders. This article reviews the evidence for a relationship between specific medical disorders and working at night or on shift systems. The strongest evidence exists for an association with peptic ulcer disease, coronary heart disease and compromised pregnancy outcome.
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              Melatonin and pregnancy in the human.

              The purpose of this systematic review is to access the current state of knowledge concerning the role for melatonin in human pregnancy. Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone secreted nightly by pineal gland and regulates biological rhythms. The nighttime serum concentration of melatonin shows an incremental change toward the end of pregnancy. This small lipophilic indoleamine crosses the placenta freely without being altered. Maternal melatonin enters the fetal circulation with ease providing photoperiodic information to the fetus. Melatonin works in a variety of ways as a circadian rhythm modulator, endocrine modulator, immunomodulator, direct free radical scavenger and indirect antioxidant and cytoprotective agent in human pregnancy, and it appears to be essential for successful pregnancy. It also seems to be involved in correcting the pathophysiology of complications during pregnancy including those due to abortion, pre-eclampsia and fetal brain damage. The scientific evidence supporting a role for melatonin in human pregnancy is summarized.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                J Med Life
                J Med Life
                JMedLife
                Journal of Medicine and Life
                Carol Davila University Press (Romania )
                1844-122X
                1844-3117
                Oct-Dec 2014
                : 7
                : 4
                : 488-492
                Affiliations
                [* ]“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, Bucharest, Romania
                Author notes
                Correspondence to: Voiculescu Suzana Elena, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Division of Physiology & Fundamental Neuroscience, 8 Eroilor Sanitari Blvd., District 5, code 050474, Bucharest Mobile phone: +40724474631, E-mail: voiculescusuzana@yahoo.com
                Article
                JMedLife-07-488
                4316124
                25713608
                1bd48257-e23d-48fe-af0b-8f1f5d235e98
                ©Carol Davila University Press

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 28 June 2014
                : 10 November 2014
                Categories
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                Medicine
                melatonin,embryo-fetal development,circadian rhythm
                Medicine
                melatonin, embryo-fetal development, circadian rhythm

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