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Melatonin, a Neuroprotective Agent: Relevance for Stress-Induced Neuropsychiatric Disorders

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Melatonin, Neuroprotective Agents and Antidepressant Therapy

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric disorders commonly refer to psychiatric diseases caused by brain disorders. The main components of neuropsychiatric symptoms are cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, paranoid-hallucinatory states, and behavioral and personality changes. Chronic stress is a major factor in depressive disorders. Dysregulation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis is a common characteristic of depression. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of stress in inducing these symptoms will be discussed. Melatonin, a hormone mainly secreted in the pineal gland, has pleiotropic neuropsychiatric actions mediated via several signaling pathways. It significantly prevented stress-induced memory deficits and depressive behavior; decreased the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and synaptophysin; and reduced bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled proliferating cells, doublecortin, and neurogenesis. The neurogenesis hypothesis of depression will be discussed, and the role of melatonin in this hypothesis will be presented. According to the novel function of new neurons in the stress response regulation, it is possible that melatonin can be used as a therapeutic agent to protect neurons and prevent the decrease of neurogenesis, which in turn reverses stress-induced depression.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support from the Thailand Research Fund (grant No.DPG5780001) and a Mahidol University Research Grant to PG is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Neuroscience, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand

    Piyarat Govitrapong, Kasima Ekthuwapranee, Nootchanart Ruksee & Parichart Boontem

  2. Center for Neuroscience and Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand

    Piyarat Govitrapong

  3. National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand

    Nootchanart Ruksee

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  1. Piyarat Govitrapong
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  2. Kasima Ekthuwapranee
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  3. Nootchanart Ruksee
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  4. Parichart Boontem
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Correspondence to Piyarat Govitrapong .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Vice-Rectorate for Research and Sci, Camilo José Cela University Vice-Rectorate for Research and Sci, Madrid, Spain

    Francisco López-Muñoz

  2. International Medical Sciences Research Study Center, Sri Sathya Sai Medical Educational & Research Foundation, Coimbatore, India

    Venkataramanujam Srinivasan

  3. Department of Neurosciences and Ima, University of Chieti Department of Neurosciences and Ima, Italy, Italy

    Domenico de Berardis

  4. Department of Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology Area), University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain

    Cecilio Álamo

  5. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Takahiro A. Kato

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Govitrapong, P., Ekthuwapranee, K., Ruksee, N., Boontem, P. (2016). Melatonin, a Neuroprotective Agent: Relevance for Stress-Induced Neuropsychiatric Disorders. In: López-Muñoz, F., Srinivasan, V., de Berardis, D., Álamo, C., Kato, T. (eds) Melatonin, Neuroprotective Agents and Antidepressant Therapy. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2803-5_8

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