Melatonin Promotes Oligodendroglial Maturation of Injured White Matter in Neonatal Rats

Paul Olivier, Romain H Fontaine, Gauthier Loron, Juliette Van Steenwinckel, Valérie Biran, Véronique Massonneau, Angela Kaindl, Jeremie Dalous, Christiane Charriaut-Marlangue, Marie-Stéphane Aigrot, Julien Pansiot, Catherine Verney, Pierre Gressens and Olivier Baud

PLOS ONE, 2009, vol. 4, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effects of melatonin treatment in a rat model of white matter damage (WMD) in the developing brain. Additionally, we aim to delineate the cellular mechanisms of melatonin effect on the oligodendroglial cell lineage. Methods: A unilateral ligation of the uterine artery in pregnant rat at the embryonic day 17 induces fetal hypoxia and subsequent growth restriction (GR) in neonatal pups. GR and control pups received a daily intra-peritoneal injection of melatonin from birth to post-natal day (P) 3. Results: Melatonin administration was associated with a dramatic decrease in microglial activation and astroglial reaction compared to untreated GR pups. At P14, melatonin prevented white matter myelination defects with an increased number of mature oligodendrocytes (APC-immunoreactive) in treated GR pups. Conversely, melatonin was not found to be associated with an increased density of total oligodendrocytes (Olig2-immunoreactive), suggesting that melatonin is able to promote oligodendrocyte maturation but not proliferation. These effects appear to be melatonin-receptor dependent and were reproduced in vitro. Interpretation: These data suggest that melatonin has a strong protective effect on developing damaged white matter through decreased microglial activation and oligodendroglial maturation leading to a normalization of the myelination process. Consequently, melatonin should be a considered as an effective neuroprotective candidate not only in perinatal brain damage but also in inflammatory and demyelinating diseases observed in adults.

Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0007128

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007128

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