Melatonin modulates mast cell oxidative state in the human testis

ROSSI SP; WINDSCHUETTL S; MATZKIN ME; TERRADAS C; PONZIO R; PUIGDOMENECH E; LEVALLE O; CALANDRA RS; MAYERHOFER A; FRUNGIERI MB

San Francisco

Congreso; 95th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society; 2013

The Endocrine Society

We have recently demonstrated the existence of melatonin in Syrian hamster testes and its regulatory action on androgen production (1,2). Melatonin may also be a regulator of the oxidative state of cells. Hence, we now turned to the human and investigated the presence of melatonin in testicular biopsies and its potential effect on the oxidative state of gonadal mast cells (MCs). Biopsies from patients suffering hypospermatogenesis (H) or Sertoli cell only (SCO) syndrome were used. Melatonin testicular concentrations were determined by ELISA. No significant differences were found between H biopsies (12.30 + 2.87 fmol/g tissue) and SCO biopsies (9.39 + 0.65 fmol/g tissue). However, melatonin concentrations in testes showed a direct positive correlation with the testicular expression of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (R= 0.732, p