Protective Effects of Melatonin against Severe Burn-Induced Distant Organ Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies
1
Department of Rehabilitation Science, Graduate School of Inje University, Gimhae 50834, Korea
2
Biohealth Products Research Center (BPRC), Inje University, Gimhae 50834, Korea
3
Ubiquitous Healthcare & Anti-Aging Research Center (u-HARC), Inje University, Gimhae 50834, Korea
4
Department of Physical Therapy, College of Healthcare Medical Science & Engineering, Gimhae 50834, Korea
5
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Harvard Medical School-Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this works.
Antioxidants 2020, 9(12), 1196; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9121196
Received: 26 October 2020 / Revised: 22 November 2020 / Accepted: 24 November 2020 / Published: 27 November 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Antioxidant Molecules and Melatonin in Cellular Protection)
Extensive burns result in a local wound response and distant-organ injury (DOI) caused by oxidative-stress and inflammation. Melatonin (MT) shows promise in alleviating oxidative-stress and inflammation, but its role in thermal injury is largely unexplored. The present systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to assess the effects of MT on oxidative-stress and inflammatory markers against severe burn-induced DOI. Mean difference (MD)/standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using fixed-effect/random-effects models. Eighteen experimental studies met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the control group, MT significantly decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (SMD, −1.03; 95% CI, −1.30, −0.76, p < 0.00001) and 4-hydroxynonenal (MD, −1.06; 95% CI, −1.57, −0.56, p < 0.0001). Additionally, MT increased the levels of glutathione (SMD, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.27, 2.61, p < 0.00001) and superoxide-dismutase (SMD, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.08, 1.45, p = 0.03). Finally, MT significantly decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (SMD, −1.34; 95% CI, −1.92 to −0.77; p < 0.00001) and C-reactive protein (MD, −12.67; 95% CI, −16.72 to −8.62; p < 0.00001). Meta-analysis indicates that severe burn followed by immediate MT (10 mg/kg) intervention shows significant beneficial effects after 24-h against DOI by regulating oxidative-stress and the inflammatory response.
Keywords:
burns; wound healing; melatonin; oxidative stress; inflammation; systematic review; meta-analysis