Light, dark, and melatonin: emerging evidence for the importance of melatonin in ocular physiology
Light, dark, and melatonin: emerging evidence for the importance of melatonin in ocular physiology
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DOI：
10.1038/sj.eye.6702597
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发表时间：
2007-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Lyons, C. J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Brennan, R.;Jan, J. E.;Lyons, C. J.
褪黑激素是一种激素，主要由松果体（退化的眼睛）产生。它不是视杆细胞和视锥细胞，而是一种新发现的感光视网膜神经节细胞亚群，负责介导光暗周期，从而调节褪黑激素的分泌。褪黑激素释放的昼夜节律的相关因素之一是习惯性睡眠模式。昼夜节律睡眠障碍的患者，包括一些没有光诱导的褪黑激素抑制的盲人患者，从褪黑激素治疗中获益。褪黑激素在视网膜、透镜、睫状体以及身体的其他部位合成。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了褪黑激素在眼睛中的生理作用，以及目前正在研究的潜在治疗途径。
Melatonin is a hormone, which is mainly produced by the pineal gland, a vestigial eye. Rather than the rods and cones, it is a newly discovered subgroup of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which is responsible for mediating the light - dark cycles, thus regulating melatonin's secretion. One of the correlates of the circadian rhythm of melatonin release is the habitual sleep pattern. Patients with circadian rhythm sleep disorders, including some blind patients with no light- induced suppression of melatonin, benefit from melatonin treatment. Melatonin is synthesized in the retina, lens, ciliary body as well as other parts of the body. In this review, we discuss the physiological roles of melatonin in the eye, as well as the potential therapeutic avenues currently under study.