MELATONIN: THE MULTIFACETED HORMONE

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 233 - 241, 26.09.2025

Beyzanur Şimşek , Esra Aydemir , Bülent Kaya

https://doi.org/10.46810/tdfd.1694044

Abstract

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland and its main biological function is to regulate the circadian rhythm. Melatonin synthesis varies according to light and dark conditions. While melatonin production is suppressed in the light environment, melatonin production increases in the dark environment. Melatonin acts through different mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is receptor-dependent signal transduction mechanism. Two types of receptors have been identified as melatonin receptor, melatonin receptor 1 and melatonin receptor 2. Through these mechanisms of action, in addition to circadian rhythm regulation, melatonin has various physiological and pathophysiological roles, including sleep cycle regulation, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, immune system modulation, effects on cancer, cardiovascular system, central nervous system and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, it is aimed to examine the roles of melatonin in physiological and pathophysiological processes.

Keywords

cancer , Circadian rhythm , Hormone , Melatonin

MELATONİN: ÇOK YÖNLÜ BİR HORMON

Abstract

Melatonin, epifiz bezi tarafından salgılanan bir hormondur ve temel biyolojik işlevi sirkadiyen ritmi düzenlemektir. Melatonin sentezi, aydınlık ve karanlık ortam koşullarına göre değişmektedir. Aydınlık ortamda, melatonin üretimi baskılanırken, karanlık ortamda melatonin üretimi artmaktadır. Melatonin farklı mekanizmalar aracılığıyla etki göstermektedir. Bu mekanizmalardan biri reseptöre bağımlı sinyal iletim mekanizmasıdır. Melatonin reseptörü olarak melatonin reseptörü 1 ve melatonin reseptörü 2 olmak üzere iki tip reseptör tanımlanmıştır. Bu etki mekanizmaları aracılığıyla sirkadiyen ritim düzenlenmesinin yanı sıra uyku döngüsünün düzenlenmesi, antioksidan ve anti-inflamatuar etkileri, immün sistem modülasyonu, kanser, kardiyovasküler sistem, santral sinir sistemi ve nörodejeneratif hastalıklar üzerine etkileri olmak üzere çeşitli fizyolojik ve patofizyolojik rolleri bulunmaktadır. Bu derlemede genel olarak melatoninin fizyolojik ve patofizyolojik süreçlerdeki rollerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır.

Keywords

Kanser , Sirkadiyen ritim , Hormon , Melatonin

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