I was more interested in the opening of the endocrine doorway. There are a huge number of studies that say melatonin is safe and helpful in PD. Against that you have a lone researcher, Dr. Willis, saying "Not so fast." The thing that gives me pause is that the reaction seems to have been to ignore him rather than to challenge his findings which involve the problem of an imbalance in the ratios of melatonin and dopamine. I don't know enough yet to take a position. But the man has a pretty good record of publications and he is not beating around the bush-

1: Physiol Behav. 1999 Jul;66(5):785-95.

A therapeutic role for melatonin antagonism in experimental models of
Parkinson's disease.

Willis GL, Armstrong SM.

The Bronowski Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Coliban Medical Centre,
Kyneton, Victoria, Australia.

To determine the effects of endogenous and exogenous melatonin on experimental
models of Parkinson's disease (PD), Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to
intracerebroventricular implants of slow release melatonin, pinealectomy (PX),
or constant light (LL) and then injected with central 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)
or i.p. 1-methyl-4-phenyl,1-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The resulting
impairment of motor function and related behavioural impairment were exacerbated
by melatonin implantation, while PX and exposure to LL significantly reduced the
severity of experimental PD. These results are consistent with previous work
highlighting the importance of aberrant amine production in neurological disease
and demonstrate that treatments that reduce endogenous melatonin bioavailability
can ameliorate experimental PD. Furthermore, these findings illustrate that
melatonin is not the universal remedy that it is currently claimed to be, and
may pose considerable problems in neurological diseases characterised by
dopamine degeneration.

PMID: 10405106 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

and


1: Drug News Perspect. 2005 Sep;18(7):437-44.

The role of ML-23 and other melatonin analogues in the treatment and management
of Parkinson's disease.

Willis GL.

Bronowski Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Coliban Medical Centre,
Victoria, Australia. gwillbro@nex.net.au

Contemporary theory regarding the cause and treatment of neuropsychiatric disease
strongly suggests that as the human body ages it gradually loses the intrinsic
safeguards that protect it from oxidative damage. Melatonin is one hormone that
serves this function in that it possesses antioxidative properties in the
mammalian body and brain. Melatonin has been shown to prevent the progressive
degeneration produced by neurotoxins employed in experimental models to mimic the
degenerative events in various neuropsychiatric disease states. There are an
abundance of models for numerous disease states demonstrating that melatonin can
inhibit oxidative stress and by such a mechanism it is presumed to exert a
therapeutic effect. While a similar scenario has been revealed with in vitro work
relating specifically to Parkinson's disease, clinical work with melatonin in
this disorder demonstrates that it is devoid of any remarkable therapeutic
effects. More recent preclinical and clinical work has reliably demonstrated that
melatonin in fact may be without therapeutic efficacy and may even worsen the
condition. On this pretense, attempts to reduce the bioavailability of melatonin
using a melatonin receptor antagonist have been found to completely restore
behavioral and regulatory function in the presence of chronically reduced levels
of dopamine, without producing side effects commonly seen with traditional
dopamine replacement therapy. The unavoidable conclusion from this work suggests
that within the dynamic framework of the mammalian brain, hormones may play a
duel, and possibly ambivalent, role in homeostasis and in the etiology of
disease. Such a position requires a reevaluation of the etiology, the role of
dopamine, the neurochemical characteristics of Parkinson's disease and the
validity of the models employed....


PMID: 16362083 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland. It is probably more a question of what is the pineal gland since melatonin is its messenger. The PG is a central part of the time-keeping system of our bodies and seems to be regulated by light by way of signals from the retina. When the retina sees light the PG stops making melatonin and resumes in the dark.

But, like much of the endocrine system, we just don't know. Until relatively recently it was considered to be one of those "vestigal organs" that we seemed to have several of.

One of my favorite stories! I find it particularly appropriate for matters of religion as it is such a good illustration that two minds reaching different conclusions may both be right. And it is certainly applicable to our knowledge of PD. We have a dozen possible causes and they may all be correct, just incomplete.

wow!

I wonder if sleeping with a bright light on would be a natural melatonin antagonist?

Inconclusive. I would like to know how it affects someone at the start of the PD Experience before the meds get us so screwed up. Also, I intend to look into the light therapy research a bit more.

Like many pwp, I had a long history of depression before DX. I noticed it was seasonal "SAD" and purchased an official "light box" for treatment. The light box worked great. What I liked the most was that the light therapy works within a few days if it in fact is going to work. Light "burns off" melatonin very quickly and it would seen that the greater problem is light exposure or contamination "burning off" available melatonin when one is supposed to be sleeping.

So where does that leave us heavy computer users who spend hours of our night time in front of a screen?

Woo Woo things to think about........http://www.crystalinks.com/thirdeyepineal.html

lindy, you asked where does that leave heavy nighttime computer users?

perhaps not as bad as we could be? Or, conversely,since melatonin is also recommended to help with sleep, perhaps we are harming ourselves.

i'm guessing it's one or the other...


ibby - that's an interesting page about the pineal gland. And just to top it off, remember it was Edgar Cayce who said PD started in the glands.

i could wonder out loud/speculate about a lot of things here...about light and following it...especially regarding a gland that has mythical background ...even being called the soul. But i can't, so I won't.

maybe someday we can include other means of healing in our discussions and gain knowledge and experience about the signs and capabilities that are never used or realized. This pineal gland discussion led us to a page that was completely unexpected yet fits in to my life [in that its' history is tied to a place outside the real world] as I seek more of a spiritual realm. And this part of us [ comtemplating our own mortality] is completely normal - many of us are in the age "zone".

I think it's fascinating. Rick, you are a busy guy - see what you have produced today? i'm picturing a scene from A River Runs Through It...of course it includes Brad Pitt and a fish. I'd rather do that than meditate...no focus. lol

Thanks ibby - more connections to think about. It's gorgeous today in Florida...in the 80s. I need to go out and turn off my melatonin.

paula