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Review

Importance of Melatonin in Assisted Reproductive Technology and Ovarian Aging

by
Hiroshi Tamura
1,*,
Mai Jozaki
1,
Manabu Tanabe
2,
Yuichiro Shirafuta
1,
Yumiko Mihara
1,
Masahiro Shinagawa
1,
Isao Tamura
1,
Ryo Maekawa
1,
Shun Sato
1,
Toshiaki Taketani
1,
Akihisa Takasaki
2,
Russel J. Reiter
3 and
Norihiro Sugino
1
1
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
2
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saiseikai Shimonoseki General Hospital, Yasuokacho 8-5-1, Shimonoseki 759-6603, Japan
3
Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031135
Submission received: 8 January 2020 / Revised: 4 February 2020 / Accepted: 6 February 2020 / Published: 8 February 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Melatonin from an Antioxidant to a Classic Hormone or a Tissue Factor: Experimental and Clinical Aspects 2019)
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Abstract

Melatonin is probably produced in all cells but is only secreted by the pineal gland. The pineal secretion of melatonin is determined by the light–dark cycle, and it is only released at night. Melatonin regulates biological rhythms via its receptors located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Melatonin also has strong antioxidant activities to scavenge free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). The direct free radical scavenging actions are receptor independent. ROS play an important role in reproductive function including in the ovulatory process. However, excessive ROS can also have an adverse effect on oocytes because of oxidative stress, thereby causing infertility. It is becoming clear that melatonin is located in the ovarian follicular fluid and in the oocytes themselves, which protects these cells from oxidative damage as well as having other beneficial actions in oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development. Trials on humans have investigated the improvement of outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), by way of administering melatonin to patients suffering from infertility. In addition, clinical research has examined melatonin as an anti-aging molecule via its antioxidative actions, and its relationship with the aging diseases, e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, is also underway. Melatonin may also reduce ovarian aging, which is a major issue in assisted reproductive technology. This review explains the relationship between melatonin and human reproductive function, as well as the clinical applications expected to improve the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology such as IVF, while also discussing possibilities for melatonin in preventing ovarian aging.
Keywords: melatonin; ovarian aging; reactive oxygen; oxidative stress; infertility melatonin; ovarian aging; reactive oxygen; oxidative stress; infertility

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tamura, H.; Jozaki, M.; Tanabe, M.; Shirafuta, Y.; Mihara, Y.; Shinagawa, M.; Tamura, I.; Maekawa, R.; Sato, S.; Taketani, T.; et al. Importance of Melatonin in Assisted Reproductive Technology and Ovarian Aging. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031135

AMA Style

Tamura H, Jozaki M, Tanabe M, Shirafuta Y, Mihara Y, Shinagawa M, Tamura I, Maekawa R, Sato S, Taketani T, et al. Importance of Melatonin in Assisted Reproductive Technology and Ovarian Aging. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21(3):1135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031135

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tamura, Hiroshi, Mai Jozaki, Manabu Tanabe, Yuichiro Shirafuta, Yumiko Mihara, Masahiro Shinagawa, Isao Tamura, Ryo Maekawa, Shun Sato, Toshiaki Taketani, and et al. 2020. "Importance of Melatonin in Assisted Reproductive Technology and Ovarian Aging" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, no. 3: 1135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031135

APA Style

Tamura, H., Jozaki, M., Tanabe, M., Shirafuta, Y., Mihara, Y., Shinagawa, M., Tamura, I., Maekawa, R., Sato, S., Taketani, T., Takasaki, A., Reiter, R. J., & Sugino, N. (2020). Importance of Melatonin in Assisted Reproductive Technology and Ovarian Aging. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(3), 1135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21031135

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