Melatonin as an Anti-Aging Therapy for Age-Related Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Natalia de las Heras¹  Vicente Lahera¹  Jesús A. F. Tresguerres¹  Russel J. Reiter²  Virna Margarita Martín Giménez³  Walter Manucha⁴ 

[1] Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain;Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, TX, United States;Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Católica de Cuyo, San Juan, Argentina;Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Mendoza, Argentina;Área de Farmacología, Departamento de Patología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina;

关键词: aging;    mitochondria;    oxidative stress;    inflammation;    melatonin;    neurodegenerative disease;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnagi.2022.888292

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The concept of “aging” is defined as the set of gradual and progressive changes in an organism that leads to an increased risk of weakness, disease, and death. This process may occur at the cellular and organ level, as well as in the entire organism of any living being. During aging, there is a decrease in biological functions and in the ability to adapt to metabolic stress. General effects of aging include mitochondrial, cellular, and organic dysfunction, immune impairment or inflammaging, oxidative stress, cognitive and cardiovascular alterations, among others. Therefore, one of the main harmful consequences of aging is the development and progression of multiple diseases related to these processes, especially at the cardiovascular and central nervous system levels. Both cardiovascular and neurodegenerative pathologies are highly disabling and, in many cases, lethal. In this context, melatonin, an endogenous compound naturally synthesized not only by the pineal gland but also by many cell types, may have a key role in the modulation of multiple mechanisms associated with aging. Additionally, this indoleamine is also a therapeutic agent, which may be administered exogenously with a high degree of safety. For this reason, melatonin could become an attractive and low-cost alternative for slowing the processes of aging and its associated diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders.

【 授权许可】

Unknown