Resumen
La alteración circadiana, caracterizada por trastornos del sueño, y la inflamación de bajo grado (metainflamación) se observan comúnmente en las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ENT). Los trastornos cardiovasculares, las enfermedades neurodegenerativas, la diabetes, el síndrome metabólico y el cáncer representan más del 80% de las muertes por ENT. La melatonina ayuda a mitigar las secuelas clínicas y los síntomas de las ENT. Este efecto se basa en las amplias acciones de la melatonina como antioxidante y como agente antiinflamatorio e inmunomodulador. En modelos animales de ENT, el tratamiento con melatonina previene diversas alteraciones relacionadas con la inflamación leve, incluido el daño oxidativo y la alteración mitocondrial, en dosis que, cuando se proyectan alométricamente a los seres humanos, oscilan entre 1 y 3 mg/kg/día. Si se espera que la melatonina mejore la salud en las ENT, las dosis bajas que se utilizan actualmente en los ensayos clínicos (es decir, 2-10 mg/día) son insuficientes. La dosis y los niveles de melatonina utilizados deben reevaluarse en función de la información de la investigación preclínica presentada.
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