Expression of the MT1 melatonin receptor subtype in human coronary arteries.

Previous experimental data suggest a possible influence of melatonin on the circulatory system of animals after binding to G-protein coupled melatonin receptors. The present study sought to investigate whether the melatonin receptor, mt1, is expressed in human coronary arteries derived from healthy heart donors (n = 8). Expression of the mt1-receptor was studied in sections of isolated coronary arteries by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western immunoblot technique. The analyses of the results from both methods indicated the presence of the mt1-receptor in all of the subjects. Referring to these data we assume that melatonin regulates physiological processes in human coronary arteries after receptor binding.