Clinical aspects of the melatonin action: impact of development, aging, and puberty, involvement of melatonin in psychiatric disease and importance of neuroimmunoendocrine interactions
Abstract
During the last decade we have learned much on physiological changes in the secretion of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) in man.
Reportedly, there is little or no MLT secreted before age 3 months. Then MLT production commences, becomes circadian, and reaches highest nocturnal levels at the age of 1-3 years. During all of childhood nocturnal peak levels drop progressively by 80% until adult levels are reached. This alteration appears to be the consequence of increasing body size in face of constant MLT production during childhood. The biological significance of this MLT alteration is presently unknown.
Because of conceptual considerations, major depressive syndrome (MDS) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have been in the focus of pineal research for several years. Although in these disorders alterations in MLT levels could not be substantiated, light therapy, a consequence of this research, was discovered as an effective treatment for SAD and perhaps for MDS.
In addition, there is some recent evidence for low MLT levels in schizophrenia.
Finally, the potential effect of MLT in neuroimmunoendocrine interactions is presently explored.
Reportedly, in vitro studies and animal experiments give evidence for a modulatory role of MLT in the immune response. However, the exact way of this possible action of MLT remains to be clarified. Clinical studies are too scant for a meaningful estimation of MLT's involvement in human neuroimmunoendocrine interactions.
See also:
- Official Web Site: The Di Bella Method;
- Melatonin use in cancer patients have started in 1974, when melatonin prepared according to Prof. Di Bella’s formulation [...]. For 11 days was administered to the patient, admitted to the general medical ward at the Maggiore-Pizzardi Hospital in Bologna, very slowly (over approx. 8 hours) and intravenously administered 1000 mg of melatonin for 11 days. During the course of each day, the patient was intravenously administered 4 saline drips of 500 ml, each containing ten 25 mg bottles of freeze-dried melatonin, lasting 2 hours, totaling 1000 mg per day. No other drug of any kind was administered in order to ascertain the effect of the MLT without interference [...]. From Melatonin with adenosine solubilized in water and stabilized with glycine for oncological treatment - technical preparation, effectivity and clinical findings;
- About Melatonin - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;
- Publication: Melatonin anticancer effects: Review (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication: Key aspects of melatonin physiology: 30 years of research (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Bromocriptine and/or Cabergoline);
- Somatostatin in oncology, the overlooked evidences - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;
- Publication, 2018 Jul: Over-Expression of GH/GHR in Breast Cancer and Oncosuppressor Role of Somatostatin as a Physiological Inhibitor (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication, 2019 Aug: The Entrapment of Somatostatin in a Lipid Formulation: Retarded Release and Free Radical Reactivity (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication, 2019 Sep: Effects of Somatostatin and Vitamin C on the Fatty Acid Profile of Breast Cancer Cell Membranes (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication, 2019 Sep: Effects of somatostatin, curcumin, and quercetin on the fatty acid profile of breast cancer cell membranes (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Publication, 2020 Sep: Two neuroendocrine G protein-coupled receptor molecules, somatostatin and melatonin: Physiology of signal transduction and therapeutic perspectives (from Di Bella's Foundation);
- Complete objective response to biological therapy of plurifocal breast carcinoma;
- Pleural Mesothelioma: clinical records on 11 patients treated with Di Bella's Method;
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma, stage T3-T4. Consideration of a case study;
- Neuroblastoma: Complete objective response to biological treatment;
- Large B-cells Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage IV-AE: a Case Report;
- Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage III-B-E: a Case Report;
- Oesophageal squamocellular carcinoma: a complete and objective response;
- Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: clinical records on 17 patients treated with Di Bella's Method;






