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N ‐acetylserotonin is a better extra‐ and intracellular antioxidant than melatonin
Author(s) -
Wölfler Albert,
Abuja Peter M,
Schauenstein Konrad,
Liebmann Peter M
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(99)00435-4
Subject(s) - melatonin , trolox , antioxidant , reactive oxygen species , intracellular , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , biochemistry , biology , antioxidant capacity
Both melatonin and its precursor N ‐acetylserotonin have been reported to exert antioxidant properties both in vitro and in vivo. Since little is known about their antioxidant activity in lymphocytes, we investigated their effects on spontaneous and on oxidant‐induced reactive oxygen species formation in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in comparison to the antioxidant trolox, a water‐soluble analogue of α‐tocopherol. Both melatonin and N ‐acetylserotonin exhibited antioxidant properties against t‐butylated hydroperoxide‐ and diamide‐induced reactive oxygen species formation in peripheral blood lymphocytes. N ‐acetylserotonin turned out to be about three times more effective than melatonin. In resting cells, the intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration was only decreased by N ‐acetylserotonin and trolox, melatonin had no effect. In t‐butylated hydroperoxide‐mediated cell death, N ‐acetylserotonin was as effective as trolox in protecting peripheral blood lymphocytes from cell death and required 10‐fold lower concentrations than melatonin. Furthermore, in an aqueous cell‐free solution, the capacity of N ‐acetylserotonin to scavenge peroxyl radicals was much higher than that of melatonin. These results clearly indicate N ‐acetylserotonin to be a much better antioxidant than melatonin.