| Serum-SalivaCorrelation | 0.81 |
| Sensitivity | 1.37pg/mL |
| SampleTestVolume | 100μL |
| RecommendedCollectionVolume | 225μL* |
| SpecialConsiderations | No |
| CollectionProtocol | DownloadPDF |
Melatonin(N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine)isanaturallyoccurringhormonefoundinanimals,plants,andmicrobes. Inhumans,melatoninisproducedprimarilybythe pinealgland,locatedinthecenterofthebrain.Melatoninformspartofthesystemthatregulatesthe sleep-wakecycle bychemicallycausingdrowsinessandloweringthebodytemperature. Productionofmelatoninbythepinealglandisinhibitedbylightandpermittedbydarkness. Secretionofmelatonin,aswellasitslevelintheblood,peaksinthemiddleofthenightandgraduallyfallsduringthesecondhalfofthenight,withnormalvariationsintimingaccordingtoanindividual’s chronotype.(1,2) MelatoninisalsoimportantforitsABIlitytoscavengefreerADIcalsandtoregulatetheactivityandexpressionofantioxidantandpro-oxidantenzymes.(3,4,5)
Inhumanplasma61-85%ofmelatoninisweaklyboundtoproteins,andthereisacloserelationshipbetweencirculatingfreeandsalivarymelatoninlevels.(6)Melatoninenterssalivafrombloodeitherbypassivediffusionoractivetransport.(7) Melatoninismeasurableinsaliva,andtheacrophasesofsalivaandplasmamelatoninrhythmsaresignificantlycorrelated.(8,9) Plasmaandsalivarymelatoninconcentrationsincreasewhenmovingfromasupinetoastandingposition,anddecreasewhenthesepositionsarereversed,duetochangesinplasmavolume.(10) Inflammatoryprocessessuchasperiodontitistriggeranincreaseinplasmamelatonin,whichthenincreasesmelatoninlevelsintheoralcavity,whereitmayincreaseantioxidantprotection.(11)
MelatoninandtheEndogenousClock
Duetoastrongcorrelationwithserummelatoninconcentrations,analysisofsalivarymelatonineffectivelyenablesresearcherstodesignnon-invasivestudiesthatassesscircadiantimingandevaluatethedegreeofcircadianphaseabnormalitiesinassociationwithmajordiseases,conditions,admiNISTrationofpharmaceuticalcompounds,seasonalaffectivedisorder,jet-lagandnightshiftwork,etc.Italsopertainstotheclinicalaspectofimprovingdiagnosisandtreatmentofirregularsleep-wakedisordersviachronotherapyusingexogenousmelatoninoralteredlightexposure.Researchofmelatonindysregulationaffectsmultiplebody-widesystemsandoftenresultsinchronicsleepdeficitswithsymptomsthatcanbemisdiagnosedasdepression,attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder,fibromyalgia,orchronicfatigue.
DLMO&MelatoninOnsetAnalysis
WithsalivaasaBIOLOGicalsample,researcherscannon-invasivelymonitormelatoninlevelswithoutanovernightsleepclinicstay(polysomnogram).Thiseliminatestherhythmperturbationcausedbyaclinicalsleepcenterlaboratory,canbeperformedin4-6hrs(asopposedto24hrs),andofferstheconvenienceofcollectingsamplesathome.SalivaryDLMOisdeterminedbymeasuringsalivarymelatoninlevelsoverseveraltime-pointspriortoandjustafterhabitualsleeptime.Calculatingthetimethatthenocturnalmelatoninconcentrationissignificantlyelevatedfromdaytimesamples(+/-2deviationsfrombaselinelevels)-DMLOisthemostsensitiveanddirectindexforidentifyinganindividual’sbiorhythmwhichmaybeentrained(synchronized)toa24hrlight/darkcycleorcanbeinafree-runningstate.AmisalignedDMLOmayindicatedelayedsleepphasesyndrome(DSPS)oradvancedsleepphasedisorder(ASPD)anditsrelationshiptovariousmetabolicconditions,diseases,disordersandgeneticandenvironmentalcomponentsareofsignificantinterestincurrentresearch.
- Claustrat,B.,Brun,J.,Chazot,G.(2005). Thebasicphysiologyandpathophysiologyofmelatonin. SleepMedRev,9(1),11-24.
- Cajochen,C.,Kräuchi,K.,Wirz-Justice,A.(2003). Roleofmelatoninintheregulationofhumancircadianrhythmsandsleep. JNeuroendocrinol,15(4),432-37.
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- Rodriguez,C.,Mayo,J.C.,Sainz,R.M.,etal.(2003). Regulationofantioxidantenzymes:Asignificantroleformelatonin. JPinealRes,36(1),1-9.
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- Gröschl,M.,Köhler,H.,Topf,H.G.,etal.(2008). Evaluationofsalivacollectiondevicesfortheanalysisofsteroids,peptidesandtherapeuticdrugs. JPharmBiomedAnal,47(3),478-86.
- Voultsios,A.,Kennaway,D.J.,Dawson,D.(1997). SalivarymelatoninasacircadianphaseMarker:Validationandcomparisontoplasmamelatonin. JBiolRhythms,12(5),457-66.
- Vakkuri,O.(1985). Diurnalrhythmofmelatonininhumansaliva. ActaPhysiolScand,124(3),409-412.
- Deacon,S.,Arendt,J.(1994). Postureinfluencesmelatoninconcentrationsinplasmaandsalivainhumans. NeurosciLett,167(1-2),191-94.
- Cutando,A.,Gómez-Moreno,G.,Villalba,J.,etal.(2003). Relationshipbetweensalivarymelatoninlevelsandperiodontalstatusindiabeticpatients. JPinealRes,35(4),239-44.
