Melatonin and acute cardiac allograft rejection

Introduction: Melatonin (MLT), the main secretory product of the pineal gland, is a multifunctional neurohormone which (a) protects tissues from damage through free radicals and attenuates ischemia/reperfusion injury in solid organ grafts; (b) acts synergistically on a variety of cellular antioxidants; (c) displays a complex, dose-dependent immunoenhancing and -suppressing effect in vitro and -vivo. This study probes for the immunomodulatory effect of MLT during the course of acute allograft rejection.