Antioxidative effects of melatonin administration in elderly primary essential hypertension patients

The imbalance of the redox state of the aging organism may be involved in the development of primary essential hypertension. Melatonin, a potent antioxidant agent, was found to exert a hypotensive effect and improve the function of the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of melatonin supplementation on oxidative stress parameters in elderly primary essential hypertensive (EH) patients, controlled by a diuretic (indapamide) monotherapy. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), activities of Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in erythrocytes, the plasma level of nitrate/nitrite, the content of carbonyl groups of plasma proteins and morning melatonin levels in the serum of 17 elderly EH patients were determined at the baseline and after the 15th and 30th days of melatonin supplementation (5 mg daily). Melatonin administration resulted in a significant increase in the morning melatonin concentration, SOD-1 and CAT activities, and a reduction in the MDA level. Statistically significant alterations in the levels of GSH, nitrate/nitrite and carbonyl groups and the activity of GSH-Px were not observed. These results indicate an improvement in the antioxidative defense of the organism by melatonin supplementation in the examined group and may suggest melatonin supplementation as an additional treatment supporting hypotensive therapy in elderly EH patients.