Betreff: Melatonin...skin functions incl. hair growth cycling.....2005
Von: JCMPelican @aol.com
Datum: Thu, 8 Mar 2007 02:09:35 EST



The relevance of this study regarding melatonin and skin functions that include hair growth cycling is obvious in regard to the information I provided re EMF/EMR adverse effects on pet hamster -- hair/fur loss and fatigue/weakness (stopped using exercise wheel) when considering other studies that explain how EMF/EMR lowers one's natural production of melatonin.
 
In other words, the hamster's cage was moved away from close proximity to the TV set and therefor, it's natural production of melatonin resumed thereby allowing for regrowth of hair/fur as well as restoration of energy thereby reducing fatigue and possible weakness that kept the hamster from one of its favorite activities -- "the exercise wheel...."       
 
Now, if only we can come up with the necessary funding, there are obviously many areas of study awaiting Prof. Olle Johansson that will prove once and for all that adverse biological changes do, in fact, transfer to realistic, easy-to-understand, adverse health changes.    Take care  -  Joanne
 
Joanne C. Mueller
Guinea Pigs R Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W.
Minneapolis, Minnesota  55448-2127 USA
Phone:   763-755-6114
Email:    jcmpelican@aol.com    (3-08-07)
 
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Endocrine. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2005 December 20.
Published in final edited form as:

On the Role of Melatonin in Skin Physiology and Pathology

A. Slominski,1 T. W. Fischer,1,2 M. A. Zmijewski,1 J. Wortsman,3 I. Semak,4 B. Zbytek,1,5 R. M. Slominski,1 and D. J. Tobin6

1 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Health Science Center, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN, 38103;
2 Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany;
3 Department of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, IL;
4 Department of Biochemistry, Belarus State University, Minsk, Belarus;
5 Department of Histology and Immunology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland; and
6 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, England

Author to whom all correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed: Andrzej Slominski MD, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Suite 599, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 930 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163. E-mail: aslominski@utmem.edu

Abstract

Melatonin has been experimentally implicated in skin functions such as hair growth cycling, fur pigmentation, and melanoma control, and melatonin receptors are expressed in several skin cells including normal and malignant keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblasts. Melatonin is also able to suppress ultraviolet (UV)-induced damage to skin cells and shows strong antioxidant activity in UV exposed cells. Moreover, we recently uncovered expression in the skin of the biochemical machinery involved in the sequential transformation of l-tryptophan to serotonin and melatonin. Existence of the biosynthetic pathway was confirmed by detection of the corresponding genes and proteins with actual demonstration of enzymatic activities for tryptophan hydroxylase, serotonin N-acetyl-transferase, and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase in extracts from skin and skin cells. Initial evidence for in vivo synthesis of melatonin and its metabolism was obtained in hamster skin organ culture and in one melanoma line. Therefore, we propose that melatonin (synthesized locally or delivered topically) could counteract or buffer external (environmental) or internal stresses to preserve the biological integrity of the organ and to maintain its homeostasis. Furthermore, melatonin could have a role in protection against solar radiation or even in the management of skin diseases.

Keywords: Skin, melatonin, serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, ultraviolet radiation

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1317110
 
 




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