Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/8314
Citations
Scopus Web of ScienceĀ® Altmetric
?
?
Type: Journal article
Title: Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion and aging: New results and a critical review of the literature
Author: Kennaway, D.
Lushington, K.
Dawson, D.
Lack, L.
van den Heuvel, C.
Rogers, N.
Citation: Journal of Pineal Research, 1999; 27(4):210-220
Publisher: MUNKSGAARD INT PUBL LTD
Issue Date: 1999
ISSN: 0742-3098
1600-079X
Statement of
Responsibility: 
David J. Kennaway, Kurt Lushington, Drew Dawson, Leon Lack, Cameron van den Heuvel and Naomi Rogers
Abstract: The apparent age-related decline in melatonin production has been thought to continue in a secular manner across the lifespan. While it is clear that melatonin levels in children and adolescents are elevated compared to older individuals, the question of whether there is a sudden or gradual change has not been adequately addressed. In this study, we report the excretion of the melatonin metabolite, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in 253 subjects aged between 21 and 82 yr. The correlation with age was significant (r = -0.24; P < 0.05). When the data was analysed by ANOVA using 5-yr age spans, there was a significant effect of age, but post hoc analysis indicated that after 25 yr of age there was no significant decline in excretion of the metabolite. Thus, although the oldest subjects excreted 36% less melatonin metabolite than the youngest, the decrease occurred at a very early age. In the second part of the study, we re-evaluated the data from seven previous studies that measured plasma melatonin levels or metabolite excretion across a wide range of ages and 11 studies comparing young versus older subjects. Statistical analysis by ANOVA again suggested that the changes in melatonin occurring with age were essentially complete before 30 yr of age. The youngest subjects produced at the most twice the amount of melatonin as the oldest subjects. Finally, we evaluated the mean plasma melatonin levels in 144 groups of normal subjects reported in 137 separate publications with respect to age. Again, whereas there was a significant correlation with age, ANOVA showed that there was no difference between groups after 35 yr of age, and the oldest groups had levels that were only 43% of the youngest groups. We conclude that melatonin production is lower in older people, but that the change occurs very early in life, around 20-30 yr of age.
Keywords: Humans
Melatonin
Circadian Rhythm
Aging
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Middle Aged
Child
Female
Male
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-079X.1999.tb00617.x
Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079x.1999.tb00617.x
Appears in Collections:Aurora harvest
Obstetrics and Gynaecology publications

Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.