Melatonin and Cancer Hallmarks

The liver is the main site for circulating melatonin metabolism. This step isfollowed by the conjugation of the product with sulfate to produce ۶-sulfatoxymelatonin. In these reactions, melatonin is converted to cyclic-۳-hydroxymelatonin after scavenging ۲ hydroxyl radicals.Additionally, high serum melatonin levels are associated with lower prostatecancer incidence. A similar association for ovarian cancer was also observed inwomen. UV radiation damage by enhancing gene expression of antioxidativeenzymes and preventing the formation of ۸-hydroxy-۲۰-Deoxyguanosine.Radiation-induced oral mucositis was inhibited in rats treated with melatonin for۲۱ days. Further analysis showed that melatonin reduces X-ray irradiation-inducedDNA damage by upregulation the expression of DNA repair genes.