MELATONIN SHOWS PROMISE FOR TREATING UVEITIS

Review of Optometry

Melatonin therapy may be used to prevent ocular inflammation caused by uveitis, according to a study in the December issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

In this study, the authors subcutaneously implanted a pellet of melatonin in hamsters with chemically-induced uveitis. At both 24-hour and eight-day follow-up, melatonin treatment reduced clinical signs of uveitis

The authors conclude that melatonin prevents the clinical and functional symptoms of induced uveitis and suggest that it is a viable therapeutic treatment strategy for the condition.

“In the future, melatonin would most likely be administered as a drop and could be combined with a topical steroid.”

Sande PH, Fernandez DC, Aldana Marcos HJ, et al. Therapeutic effect of melatonin in experimental uveitis. Am J Pathol 2008 Dec;173(6):1702-13.