Investigation of antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of melatonin in diabetic animals

The growing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, a group of metabolic diseases, is evident worldwide. Diabetes causes a number of acute complications, many leading to cardiovascular disease, which can be partly attributed to the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative stress in the hyperglycemic state. The circadian hormone melatonin has been recognized as having strong antioxidant effects; thus the objective of this study is to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of melatonin on diabetic animals. The main hypothesis is these properties of melatonin will be important to modulate heart tissue oxidative stress (increasing the antioxidant system and decreasing oxidative damages), with a consequent improvement in cardiac metabolism and remodeling. An acute high intensity exercise will be used to challenge animals’ cardiovascular metabolism, function and antioxidant system, in order to clearly evaluate all benefits of melatonin treatment. Unravelling the key effects of melatonin in this respect will provide new knowledge on its potential as a part of the therapeutic repertoire of drugs for cardiomyopathy.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gary Sweeney

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal de São Paulo

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

York University

Program: