Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-t27h7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-16T01:26:14.372Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Melatonin and Jet Lag Syndrome: Experimental Model and Clinical Implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Gregory F. Oxenkrug  and
Pura J. Requintina
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

What is the effect of melatonin on jet lag syndrome? Jet lag desynchronizes the internal sleep-wakefulness cycle with the environmental light/dark cycle. Advance (but not delay) of light onset is known to abolish pineal N-acetyltransferase activity and urine excretion of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin. Measurements of pineal serotonin, the substrate of melatonin biosynthesis; N-acetylserotonin (NAS), the immediate melatonin precursor; and melatonin (high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorimetric method) in the animal (rat) model of jet lag revealed that prolonged delay of darkphase onset disrupted the rhytms in comparable ways as the advance of light-phase onset. Advance of dark phase onset resulted in less severe disturbances of rhythms as compared with the advance of light phase onset. Melatonin, but not NAS, injections at the beginning of a new dark period accelerated recovery of NAS and melatonin, but not serotonin, rhythms. Spontaneously hypertensive rats were more sensitive to advance of light onset and less responsive to melatonin injections than normotensive rats. NAS and methylene blue, an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A, attenuated light-induced disruption of NAS but not melatonin rhythms. We draw the following conclusions from our data: the beginning of the dark period may be preferable to the beginning of light period as the arrival time on eastward flights; the efficacy of melatonin in alleviating jet lag may be enchanced by administering it before, during and after rapid transition through time zones; and hypertension may exaggerate jet lag syndrome.

Type
Original Research
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 8 , Issue 2: Sleep Disorders , February 2003 , pp. 139 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Samel, A. Melatonin and jet lag. Eur J Med Res. 1999;4:385–388.Google ScholarPubMed
2.Zisapel, N. Circadian rhythm sleep disorders: pathophysilogy and potential approaches to management. CNS Drugs. 2001;15:311–328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Sasaki, M. Jet lag syndrome. Nippon Rinsho. 1998;56:396–403.Google ScholarPubMed
4.Cassone, VM. Melatonin's role in vertebrate circadian rhythms. Chronobiol Int. 1998;15:457–473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Warren, WS, Cassone, VM. The pineal gland: photoreception and coupling of behavioral, metabolic, and cardiovascular circadian outputs. J Biol Rhythms. 1995;10:64–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Ganguly, S, Coon, SL, DC, Klein. Control of melatonin synthesis in the mammalian pineal gland: the critical role of serotonin acetylation. Cell Tisse Res. 2002;309:127–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Ribelayga, C, Cauer, F, Calgari, C, Pevet, P, Simonneaux, V. Photoneuronal regulation of rat pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) messenger ribonucleic acid expression: an analysis of its complex relatioship with HIOMT activity. Endocrinology. 1999;140:1375–1384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Oxenkrug, GF, Requintina, PJ. Stimulation of rat pineal melatonin biosynthesis by N-acetylserotonin. Int J Neurosci. 1994;77:237–241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Armstrong, S, Cassone, VM, Chesworth, MJ, Redman, JR, Short, RV. Synchronization of mammalian circadian rhythms by melatonin. J Neural Transm Suppl. 1986;21:375–394Google ScholarPubMed
10.Spitzer, RL, Terman, M, Williams, JB, et al.Jet lag: clinical features, validation of a new syndrome-specific scale, and lack of response to melatonin in a randomized, double-blind trial. Am J Psychitry. 1999;156:1392–1396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Illnerova, H, Vanecek, J, Hoffmann, K. Adjustment of the rat pineal N-acetyltransferase rhythm to eight-hour shifts of the light-dark cycle: advance of the cycle disturbs the rhythm more than delay. Brain Res. 1987;417:167–171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Kennaway, DJ, Blake, P, Webb, HA. A melatonin agonist and N-acetyl-N-2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine accelerate the re-entrainment of the melatonin rhythm following a phase advance of the light-dark cycle. Brain Res. 1989;495:349–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Buresova, M, Benesova, O, Illnerova, H. Aging alters resynchronization of the circadian system in rats after a shift of the light-dark cycle. Experientia. 1990;15:75–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Humlova, M, Illnerova, H. Resetting of the rat circadian clock after a shift in the light/dark cycle depends on the photoperiod. Neurosci Res. 1992;13:147–153.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Illnerova, H, Humlova, M. The rat pineal N-acetyltransferase rhythm persists after a five-hour, but disappeares temporarily after a seven hour advance of the light-dark cycle: a six-hour shift may be a turning point. Neurosci Lett. 1990;110:27–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Humlova, M, Illnerova, H. Rate of re-entrainment of circadian rhythms to advances of light-dark cycles may depend on ways of shifting the cycles. Brain Res. 1990;531:304–306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Bade, P, Rommelspacher, H, Strauss, S. N-acetyltransferase activity in pineal gland of rats treated with pargyline. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 1977;297:143–147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Oxenkrug, GF. Antidepressive and antihypertensive effects of MAO-A inhibition: role of N-acetylserotonin. Neurobiology. 1999;7:213–224Google ScholarPubMed
19.Oxenkrug, GF, Requintina, PJ. Phase advanced circadian rhythm of the pineal melatonin biosynthesis in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biol Psychiatry. 1992;31:373.Google Scholar
20.Illnerova, H, Trentini, GP, Maslova, L. Melatonin accelerates reentrainment of the circadian rhythm of its own production after an 8-h advance of the light-dark cycle. J Comp Physiol [A]. 1989;166:97–102CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Kennaway, DJ, Rowe, SA, Effect of stimulation of endogenous melatonin secretion during constant light exposure on 6-sulphatoxymelatonin rhythmicity in rats. J Pineal Res. 2000;28:16–25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Sablin, SO, Requintina, PJ, Oxenkrug, GF. The effect of methylene blue on MAO-A activity, rat pineal melatonin synthesis and righting reflex in frogs. Biol Psychiatry. 2001;49:48.Google Scholar
23.Oxenkrug, GF (1991) The acute effect of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on serotonin conversion to melatonin. In: Coppen, A, Sandler, M, Harnett, S, eds. 5-hydroxytryptamine and Mental Illness. London, England: Oxford University Press; 1991:99–108.Google Scholar
24.Oxenkrug, GF, PJ, Requintina. The effect of MAO-A inhibition and coldimmobilization stress on N-acetylserotonin and melatonin in SHR and WKY rats. J Neural Transm. 1998;52(suppl):33–336.Google ScholarPubMed
25.Monk, TH, Buysse, DJ, Carrier, J, DJ, Kupfer. Inducing jet-lag in older people: directional asymmentry. J Sleep Res. 2000;9:101–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Waterhouse, J, Edwards, B, Nevill, A, et al.Identifying some determinants of “jet lag” and its symptoms: a study of athlets and other travelers. Br J Sport Med. 2002;36:54–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Herxheimer, A., Petrie, KJ. Melatonin for preventing and treating jet lag. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;CD001520.Google Scholar
28.Clausrat, B, Brun, J, David, M, et al.Melatonin and jet lag: confirmatory results using simplified protocol. Biol Psychiatry. 1992;32:705–711CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29.Ekstrand, K, Bostrom, FA, Arborelius, M, et al.Cardiovascular risk factors in commercial flight aircrew officer compared eith those in general population. Angiology. 1996;47:1089–1094.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Barattint, P, Dolci, C, Montaruli, A, et al.Resynchronization of blood pressure circadian rhythm after westward trans-7-meridian flight with and without melatonin treatment. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2001;72:221–224Google Scholar
31.Zhdanova, IV, Lynch, HJ, Wurtman, RJ. Melatonin—a sleep promoting hormone. Sleep. 1997;201:899–907.Google Scholar
32.Zhdanova, IV, Cantor, NL, Leelair, OU, Kartashov, AL, Wurtman, RJ. Behavioral effects of melatonin treatment in non-human primated. Sleep Res Online. 1998;1:114–118.Google Scholar
33.Zhdanova, IV, Wang, SY, Leelair, OU, Danilova, NP. Melatonin promotes sleep-like state in zebrafish. Brain Res. 2001;908:263–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34.Quera-Salva, MA, Guillerminault, C, Claustrat, B, et al.Rapid shift in peak melatonin secretion associated with improved performance in short shift work schedule. Sleep. 1997;20:1145–1150.Google ScholarPubMed
35.Takahashi, T, Sasaki, M, Itoh, H, et al.Effect of 3 mg melatonin on jet lag syndrome in an 8-h eastward flight. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2000;54:377–378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36.Arendt, J, Aldhous, M, Marks, M, et al.Some effects of jet lag and their treatment by melatonin. Ergonomics. 1987;30:1379–1393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37.Lewy, AJ, Ahmed, S, Sack, RL. Phase shifting the human circadiam clock using melatonin. Behav Brain Res. 1996;73:131–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38.Kennaway, DJ, Moyer, RW. Serotonin 5-HT2c agonists mimic the effect of light pulses on circadian rhythms. Brain Res. 1998;806:257–270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39.Eison, AS, Freeman, RP, Guss, VB, et al.Melatonin agonists modulate 5-HT2A receptor-mediated neurotransmission: behavioral and biochemical studies in the rat. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1995;273:304–308.Google ScholarPubMed
40.Raghavendra, V, Kulkarni, SK. Melatonin reversal of DOI-indusced hypophagia in rats; possible mechanism by suppressing 5-HT(2A) receptor-mediated activation of HPA axis. Brain Res. 2000;860:112–118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41.Suhner, A, Schlagenhaul, P, Johson, R, et al.Comparative study to determine the optimal melatonin dosage form for the alleviation of jet lag. Chronobiol Int. 1998;15:655–666.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
42.Donaldson, E, Kennaway, DJ. Effects of temazepam on sleep, performance, and rhythmic 6-sulphatoxymelatonin and cortisol excretion after transmeridian travel. Aviat Space Environ Med. 1991.62:654–660.Google ScholarPubMed
43.Kolker, DE, Losee Olson, S, Dutton-Boilek, J, et al.Feeding melatonin enhances the phase shifting response to triazolam in both young and old hamsters. Am J Physol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2002;282:1382–1388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44.Pierard, C, Beaumont, M, Enslen, M, et al.Re-synchronization of hormonal rhythms after an eastbound flight in humans: effects of slow-release caffeine and melatonin. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001;85:144–150.Google Scholar
45.McClellan Stine, M, O'Connor, RJ, Yatko, BR, et al.Evidence for a relationship between daily caffeine consumption and accuracy of the time estimation. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2002,17:361–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
46.Zatz, M, Heath, JR. Calcium and photoentrainment in chick pineal cell revisited: effects of caffeine, thapsigargin, EGTA, and light on the melatonin rhythms. J Neurochem. 1995;65:1332–1341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar