Antiproliferative effect and cell cycle modulation by melatonin on GH(3) cells.

We have investigated the effect of melatonin on cell proliferation and modulation, in the GH(3) experimental rat pituitary cell line; the expression of oncogenes c-myc, c-jun and the tumor suppressor gene p53 were also analyzed basally and after exposure to melatonin (10(-6), 10(-8) and 10(-10) M). Melatonin exhibited an antiproliferative effect at all the doses tested, decreasing the proliferating index by 50%. After exposure to melatonin, a decrease in Ki67 and Proliferation cell nuclear antigen occurred acute- and transiently (at 2 h) after a single dose which recovered at 4 h, as well as chronically after repeated 12-hour doses which persisted at 48 h; a similar behavior was observed both acute- and chronically for c-myc and c-jun, while it was opposite for p53, rising acute- and transiently as well as after repeated exposure. These results demonstrate that melatonin modulates the proliferation mechanisms of the GH(3) cells. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel