EFFECTS OF MELATONIN ON NITRIC OXIDE CONTENT AND ITS NEUROTOXICITY IN CEREBRAL CORTEX

AIM: To explore the mechanisms of the antiaging action of melatonin(MT) . METHODS: The effects of MT on nitric oxide (NO) content, high concentrations of KCI, glutamate (Glu)-induced NO release, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-elicited neurotoxicity were studied in old mouse cerebral cortex and rat primary cortical cultures. RESULTS: MT could inhibit the elevation of NO content in old mouse cerebral cortex, reduce the KCI, Glu-induced NO release, antagonize the SNP-induced neurotoxicity in cultured cortical cells of fetal rat. CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effects on NO release and its neurotoxicity were probably one of the mechanisms of the MT antiaging action.