Melatonin changes the electrical spontaneous activity of hippocampal rat neurons at different ages

Daniel Perez-Torres, Cruz Reyes-Vázquez, Mireya Velázquez-Paniagua, Bertha P rieto-Gómez

Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México;.

DOI: 10.4236/aar.2014.31006                

Abstract

Melatonin, the pineal indole is characterized by being a compound that crosses all cell membranes and which has been attributed to several mechanisms of action. Among these it is the ability to reduce free radicals, thereby reducing the potential aging and cell death. Studies in different age Wistar rats have shown that chronic application of melatonin, in the hippocampus, reduces the concentration of free radicals and keeps its architecture. This study showed that melatonin increases the firing rate and favors the presence of bursting activity in animals of different ages. It is suggested that melatonin conserved hippocampal cells in good anatomical and physiological condition probably as a result of the elimination of free radicals.

Keywords

Melatonin; Unitary Neuronal Activity; Hippocampus; Rat; Age

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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