Journal of pineal research
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Adjuvant use of melatonin for treatment of fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by generalized muscular pain accompanied by fatigue and tenderness at specific anatomic sites called tender points. Although preliminary evidence indicates that melatonin may be effective in treating the pain associated with FMS, no definitive evidence supports this claim. This study was designed to evaluate the significance of using different doses of melatonin, alone or in combination with fluoxetine for the management of FMS. ⋯ Each patient was clinically evaluated through direct interview with the patients using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) at zero time and after 8 wk. Using melatonin (3 mg or 5 mg/day) in combination with 20 mg/day fluoxetine resulted in significant reduction in both total and different components of FIQ score compared to the pretreatment values. In conclusion, administration of melatonin, alone or in a combination with fluoxetine, was effective in the treatment of patients with FMS.
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Melatonin (5-15 mg/kg) protects male animals against ischemic stroke. We explored the potential interactions and synergistic neuroprotection of melatonin and estrogen using a panel of lipid peroxidation and radical-scavenging assays, primary neuronal cultures subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Neuroprotective efficacy of melatonin was also evaluated in both reproductively active and ovariectomized female rats subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia. ⋯ Relative to vehicle-injected controls, melatonin given intravenously at 1-5 mg/kg, but not 0.1 or 15 mg/kg, significantly reduced brain infarction and improved neurobehavioral outcomes (P<0.05, respectively) in reproductively active female rats. In ovariectomized stroke rats, melatonin was only effective at a large dosage (15-50 mg/kg). These results demonstrate complex interactions and synergistic antioxidant, radical-scavenging, and anti-inflammatory actions between estradiol and melatonin, and highlight the potential need to rectify the melatonin's hormetic dose-response by the level of circulating estradiol in the treatment of female stroke patients.