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Genaro G. Ortiz

Bio: Genaro G. Ortiz is an academic researcher from Mexican Social Security Institute. The author has contributed to research in topics: Melatonin & Oxidative stress. The author has an hindex of 37, co-authored 128 publications receiving 5009 citations. Previous affiliations of Genaro G. Ortiz include University of Valladolid & University of Texas at San Antonio.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Melatonin is remarkably potent in protecting against free radical damage induced by a variety of means, and DNA damage resulting from either the exposure of animals to the chemical carcinogen safrole or to ionizing radiation is markedly reduced when melatonin is co‐administered.
Abstract: This survey summarizes the findings, accumulated within the last 2 years, concerning melatonin's role in defending against toxic free radicals. Free radicals are chemical constituents that have an unpaired electron in their outer orbital and, because of this feature, are highly reactive. Inspired oxygen, which sustains life, also is harmful because up to 5% of the oxygen (O2) taken in is converted to oxygen-free radicals. The addition of a single electron to O2 produces the superoxide anion radical (O2-.); O2-. is catalytic-reduced by superoxide dismutase, to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Although H2O2 is not itself a free radical, it can be toxic at high concentrations and, more importantly, it can be reduced to the hydroxyl radical (.OH). The .OH is the most toxic of the oxygen-based radicals and it wreaks havoc within cells, particularly with macromolecules. In recent in vitro studies, melatonin was shown to be a very efficient neutralizer of the .OH; indeed, in the system used to test its free radical scavenging ability it was found to be significantly more effective than the well known antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), in doing so. Likewise, melatonin has been shown to stimulate glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in neural tissue; GSH-PX metabolizes reduced glutathione to its oxidized form and in doing so it converts H2O2 to H2O, thereby reducing generation of the .OH by eliminating its precursor. More recent studies have shown that melatonin is also a more efficient scavenger of the peroxyl radical than is vitamin E. The peroxyl radical is generated during lipid peroxidation and propagates the chain reaction that leads to massive lipid destruction in cell membranes. In vivo studies have demonstrated that melatonin is remarkably potent in protecting against free radical damage induced by a variety of means. Thus, DNA damage resulting from either the exposure of animals to the chemical carcinogen safrole or to ionizing radiation is markedly reduced when melatonin is co-administered. Likewise, the induction of cataracts, generally accepted as being a consequence of free radical attack on lenticular macromolecules, in newborn rats injected with a GSH-depleting drug are prevented when the animals are given daily melatonin injections. Also, paraquat-induced lipid peroxidation in the lungs of rats is overcome when they also receive melatonin during the exposure period. Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide that inflicts at least part of its damage by generating free radicals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

830 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data support a pharmacological use of melatonin in drug‐induced mitochondrial damage in vivo and suggest that melatonin modulates mitochondrial respiratory activity, an effect that may account for some of the protective properties of the indoleamine.
Abstract: Melatonin displays antioxidant and free radical scavenger properties. Due to its ability with which it enters cells, these protective effects are manifested in all subcellular compartments. Recent studies suggest a role for melatonin in mitochondrial metabolism. To study the effects of melatonin on this organelle we used ruthenium red to induce mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress. The results show that melatonin (10 mg/kg i.p.) can increase the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory complexes I and IV after its administration in vivo in a time-dependent manner; these changes correlate well with the half-life of the indole in plasma. Melatonin administration also prevented the decrease in the activity of complexes I and IV due to ruthenium red (60 microg/kg i.p.) administration. At this dose, ruthenium red did not induce lipid peroxidation but it significantly reduced the activity of the antioxidative enzyme glutathione peroxidase, an effect also counteracted by melatonin. These results suggest that melatonin modulates mitochondrial respiratory activity, an effect that may account for some of the protective properties of the indoleamine. The mitochondria-modulating role of melatonin may be of physiological significance since it seems that the indoleamine is concentrated into normal mitochondria. The data also support a pharmacological use of melatonin in drug-induced mitochondrial damage in vivo.

286 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The importance of the role of the blood-brain barrier in MS is established and improvements in understanding of molecular mechanism of BBB functioning in physiological and pathological conditions could lead to improvement in the quality of life of MS patients.

239 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: In this model of liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, exogenously administered melatonin effectively protected against oxidative damage, the hepatic parameters which illustrated this protection were reduced lipid peroxidation products, lowered PMN infiltration, increased GSH and reduced G SSG levels, and elevated GSSG-Rd activity all of which were observed in melatonin-treated rats.
Abstract: Background/Aims : The protective effect of melatonin against the damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species during liver ischemia-reperfusion was investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats using both biochemical and morphological parameters. Materials and Methods : For biochemical analyses the levels of lipid peroxidation products [malonaldehyde (MDA) + 4-hydroxyalkenals (4-HDA)], levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and the activities of GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px), GSH reductase (GSSG-Rd) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) were estimated. Also the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in injured livers was counted in histological sections. Results : After 40 min of ischemia followed by 60 min of reperfusion the hepatic levels of MDA + 4-HDA increased. Pretreatment of the animals with melatonin abolished the rise in MDA + 4-HDA induced by ischemia-reperfusion. GSH concentrations decreased and GSSG increased during ischemia-reperfusion and, again melatonin counteracted these changes. Additionally, the activities of two antioxidative enzymes (GSH-Px and GSSG-Rd) decreased during the experimental period with melatonin preventing the change in GSSG-Rd. G6Pase activity was not influenced by either ischemia-reperfusion or by melatonin administration. Morphologically, PMN infiltration was obvious in the ischemia-reperfusion damaged liver, a change also partially reversed by melatonin. Conclusions : In this model of liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, exogenously administered melatonin effectively protected against oxidative damage. The hepatic parameters which illustrated this protection were reduced lipid peroxidation products, lowered PMN infiltration, increased GSH and reduced GSSG levels, and elevated GSSG-Rd activity all of which were observed in melatonin-treated rats in which damage due to ischemia-reperfusion had been induced.

226 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Melatonin is neuroprotective in this MPTP model of Parkinson's disease and suggest that melatonin, an endogenous antioxidant and nontoxic compound, may have potential beneficial effects for this neurodegenerative disorder.

206 citations


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21 Jun 2010

1,966 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This report reviews the studies which document the influence of melatonin on the activity and expression of the antioxidative enzymes glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutases and catalase both under physiological and under conditions of elevated oxidative stress and analyses the possible mechanisms by which melatonin regulates these enzymes.
Abstract: Antioxidant enzymes form the first line of defense against free radicals in organisms. Their regulation depends mainly on the oxidant status of the cell, given that oxidants are their principal modulators. However, other factors have been reported to increase antioxidant enzyme activity and/or gene expression. During the last decade, the antioxidant melatonin has been shown to possess genomic actions, regulating the expression of several genes. Melatonin also influences both antioxidant enzyme activity and cellular mRNA levels for these enzymes. In the present report, we review the studies which document the influence of melatonin on the activity and expression of the antioxidative enzymes glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutases and catalase both under physiological and under conditions of elevated oxidative stress. We also analyze the possible mechanisms by which melatonin regulates these enzymes.

1,824 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review focuses on melatonin metabolism which includes the synthetic rate‐limiting enzymes, synthetic sites, potential regulatory mechanisms, bioavailability in humans, mechanisms of breakdown and functions of its metabolites.
Abstract: Melatonin is a highly conserved molecule. Its presence can be traced back to ancient photosynthetic prokaryotes. A primitive and primary function of melatonin is that it acts as a receptor-independent free radical scavenger and a broad-spectrum antioxidant. The receptor-dependent functions of melatonin were subsequently acquired during evolution. In the current review, we focus on melatonin metabolism which includes the synthetic rate-limiting enzymes, synthetic sites, potential regulatory mechanisms, bioavailability in humans, mechanisms of breakdown and functions of its metabolites. Recent evidence indicates that the original melatonin metabolite may be N 1 -acetyl-N 2 -formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK) rather than its commonly measured urinary excretory product 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate. Numerous pathways for AFMK formation have been identified both in vitro and in vivo. These include enzymatic and pseudo-enzymatic pathways, interactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and with ultraviolet irradiation. AFMK is present in mammals including humans, and is the only detectable melatonin metabolite in unicellular organisms and metazoans. 6-Hydroxymelatonin sulfate has not been observed in these low evolutionary-ranked organisms. This implies that AFMK evolved earlier in evolution than 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate as a melatonin metabolite. Via the AFMK pathway, a single melatonin molecule is reported to scavenge up to 10 ROS/RNS. That the free radical scavenging capacity of melatonin extends to its secondary, tertiary and quaternary metabolites is now documented. It appears that melatonin's interaction with ROS/RNS is a prolonged process that involves many of its derivatives. The process by which melatonin and its metabolites successively scavenge ROS/RNS is referred as the free radical scavenging cascade. This cascade reaction is a novel property of melatonin and explains how it differs from other conventional antioxidants. This cascade reaction makes melatonin highly effective, even at low concentrations, in protecting organisms from oxidative stress. In accordance with its protective function, substantial amounts of melatonin are found in tissues and organs which are frequently exposed to the hostile environmental insults such as the gut and skin or organs which have high oxygen consumption such as the brain. In addition, melatonin production may be upregulated by low intensity stressors such as dietary restriction in rats and exercise in humans. Intensive oxidative stress results in a rapid drop of circulating melatonin levels. This melatonin decline is not related to its reduced synthesis but to its rapid consumption, i.e. circulating melatonin is rapidly metabolized by interaction with ROS/RNS induced by stress. Rapid melatonin consumption during elevated stress may serve as a protective mechanism of organisms in which melatonin is used as a first-line defensive molecule against oxidative damage. The oxidative status of organisms modifies melatonin metabolism. It has been reported that the higher the oxidative state, the more AFMK is produced. The ratio of AFMK and another melatonin metabolite, cyclic 3-hydroxymelatonin, may serve as an indicator of the level of oxidative stress in organisms.

1,454 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Melatonin was discovered to be a direct free radical scavenger less than 10 years ago and besides its ability to directly neutralize a number of free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, it stimulates several antioxidative enzymes which increase its efficiency as an antioxidant.
Abstract: Melatonin was discovered to be a direct free radical scavenger less than 10 years ago. Besides its ability to directly neutralize a number of free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, it stimulates several antioxidative enzymes which increase its efficiency as an antioxidant. In terms of direct free radical scavenging, melatonin interacts with the highly toxic hydroxyl radical with a rate constant equivalent to that of other highly efficient hydroxyl radical scavengers. Additionally, melatonin reportedly neutralizes hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, peroxynitrite anion, nitric oxide and hypochlorous acid. The following antioxidative enzymes are also stimulated by melatonin: superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Melatonin has been widely used as a protective agent against a wide variety of processes and agents that damage tissues via free radical mechanisms.

1,074 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is the current feeling of the authors that, in view of the widely diverse beneficial functions that have been reported for melatonin, these may be merely epiphenomena of the more fundamental, yet‐to‐be identified basic action(s) of this ancient molecule.
Abstract: Melatonin is uncommonly effective in reducing oxidative stress under a remarkably large number of circumstances. It achieves this action via a variety of means: direct detoxification of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species and indirectly by stimulating antioxidant enzymes while suppressing the activity of pro-oxidant enzymes. In addition to these well-described actions, melatonin also reportedly chelates transition metals, which are involved in the Fenton/Haber-Weiss reactions; in doing so, melatonin reduces the formation of the devastatingly toxic hydroxyl radical resulting in the reduction of oxidative stress. Melatonin's ubiquitous but unequal intracellular distribution, including its high concentrations in mitochondria, likely aid in its capacity to resist oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis. There is credible evidence to suggest that melatonin should be classified as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. Melatonin's capacity to prevent oxidative damage and the associated physiological debilitation is well documented in numerous experimental ischemia/reperfusion (hypoxia/reoxygenation) studies especially in the brain (stroke) and in the heart (heart attack). Melatonin, via its antiradical mechanisms, also reduces the toxicity of noxious prescription drugs and of methamphetamine, a drug of abuse. Experimental findings also indicate that melatonin renders treatment-resistant cancers sensitive to various therapeutic agents and may be useful, due to its multiple antioxidant actions, in especially delaying and perhaps treating a variety of age-related diseases and dehumanizing conditions. Melatonin has been effectively used to combat oxidative stress, inflammation and cellular apoptosis and to restore tissue function in a number of human trials; its efficacy supports its more extensive use in a wider variety of human studies. The uncommonly high-safety profile of melatonin also bolsters this conclusion. It is the current feeling of the authors that, in view of the widely diverse beneficial functions that have been reported for melatonin, these may be merely epiphenomena of the more fundamental, yet-to-be identified basic action(s) of this ancient molecule.

1,045 citations