Melatonin, its metabolites and their interference with reactive nitrogen compounds

Abstract

Melatonin and several of its metabolites are interfering with reactive nitrogen. With the notion of prevailing melatonin formation in tissues that exceeds by far the quantities in blood, metabolites come into focus that are poorly found in the circulation. Apart from their antioxidant actions, both melatonin and N1‐acetyl‐5‐methoxykynuramine (AMK) downregulate inducible and inhibit neuronal NO synthases, and additionally scavenge NO. However, the NO adduct of mela-tonin redonates NO, whereas AMK forms with NO a stable product. Many other melatonin metabolites formed in oxidative processes also contain nitrosylatable sites. Moreover, AMK readily scavenges products of the CO2‐adduct of peroxynitrite such as carbonate radicals and NO2. Protein AMKylation seems to be involved in protective actions.