Exercise Increases Melatonin Output: Melatonin may protect against breast cancer. Measurements on on 1,054 summer and winter days from 213 women found a significant interaction between season and day length. The most significant factor was duration of exercise (p = 0.004), which increased the amount of melatonin produced. Exercise duration later in the day was more significant (p = 0.0009). There was no difference between moderate or strenuous exercise. It is possible that the protective effect of exercise with respect to breast cancer may operate in part through an effect on melatonin. Light and Exercise and Melatonin Production in Women. Knight JA, et al. Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Oct 5.

Multiple Sclerosis: Melatonin Lower in Suicidal MS Patients: Danbury, CT. Int J Neurosci. 1993 Jul-Aug;71(1-4):173-82.

Multiple Sclerosis: Pineal Calcifications High in MS: Pineal calcification was seen in 100% of 29 MS patients vs. 43% for 21 controls. The strikingly high prevalence of PC in MS provides indirect support for an association between MS and abnormalities of the pineal gland. This might play a role in causing the disease. The pineal gland in multiple sclerosis. Sandyk R, Awerbuch GI. Albert Einstein. Int J Neurosci. 1991 Nov;61(1-2):61-7.  

Ocular Pathology Effects Melatonin Levels: Ocular pathology lessens light's efficacy to maintain optimal circadian entrainment. In a study of 30 adults (mean age = 69), illumination factors explained 29% of the variance in aMT6s levels. The proportion of variance explained by ophthalmic factors, sleep duration, and race was 10%, 2%, and 2%, respectively. Illumination factors explained 19% of the variance in aMT6s acrophase. The proportion of variance explained by ophthalmic factors, sleep duration, and race was 11%; 17%; and 2%, respectively. Controlling for sleep duration and race reduced the correlations between illumination and melatonin, whereas controlling for ophthalmic factors did not. Ophthalmic exams showed that elevated intraocular pressure and large cup-to-disk ratios were independently associated with earlier melatonin timing. Lower illumination exposure also had independent associations with earlier melatonin timing. Conceivably, ophthalmic and illumination factors might have an additive effect on the timing of melatonin excretion, which in turn might predispose individuals to experience early morning awakenings. Daily illumination exposure and melatonin: influence of ophthalmic dysfunction and sleep duration. Jean-Louis G, et al. J Circadian Rhythm 2005 Dec 1;3(1):13.

Melatonin inhibits COX-2 and iNOS transcriptional activation by inhibiting p300 HAT activity thereby suppressing p52 acetylation, binding and transactivation. Blood April 11, 2006

Thomas E. Radecki, M.D., J.D.

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