Melatonin and Alpha Lipoic Acid Important for Cardiovascular Health

A recently published study investigated the cardio-protective role of the antioxidants melatonin and alpha lipoic acid. Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, as well as provides significant antioxidant activity. Alpha lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant that is unique as it is both water and fat-soluble, allowing it to function in all areas of the body.

In this new study, researchers treated rats with cadmium for 15 days to induce oxidative damage. Some of the rats were also administered melatonin at a dose of 10 mg per kg of body weight plus alpha lipoic acid at a dose of 25 mg per kg of body weight daily. The rats were evaluated for markers of oxidative stress on the heart including cardiac free radical generation, lipid peroxidation and cadmium load. The rats were also assessed for metallothionein, which is produced to combat oxidative stress in the body, and correlates with systemic endogenous antioxidant status.

The results of the study revealed that the combination of melatonin and alpha lipoic acid significantly decreased leakage of enzymes—a marker of cell damage—from the cells in the heart. Additionally, this combination resulted in modulation of cardiac free radical generation, endogenous antioxidants, antioxidant status, structural alterations and metallothionein induction.

The researchers concluded, “The results demonstrate that melatonin plus alpha lipoic acid co-administration effectively protected against cadmium-induced cardiac oxidative damage.”

Reference:

Mukherjee R, Banerjee S, Joshi N, Singh PK, Baxi D, Ramachandran AV. A Combination of Melatonin and Alpha Lipoic Acid has Greater Cardioprotective Effect than Either of Them Singly Against Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Damage. Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2010 Nov 3. Published Online Ahead of Print.