PENGARUH MELATONIN DOSIS FISIOLOGIS DAN FARMAKOLOGIS TERHADAP PRODUKSI IFN - y DAN PRODUKSI HIDROGEN PEROKSIDA MENCIT BALB/c

Abstract

Immunosenescence in the elderly increases susceptibility to infections. One of the causes is impaired response of macrophage to activating signal of IFN-y to initiate H202 production for killing microorganisms. Melatonin is a hormone that is able to fight against the effects of immunosenescence by increasing IFN-y production that triggers I-1202 production. The study was carried out to prove that administration of physiological or pharmacological dose of melatonin in vitro to splenocytes from young BALB/c mice and old BALB/c mice can increase IFN-y production that will trigger 11202 production. The present study is a experimental study with posttest only control group design. Young (6-10 weeks of age) female BALB/c mice and old (18-22 months) mice were randomly assigned into three groups. In the first group the splenocytes of the mice receive no treatment, in the second group the splenocytes were incubated with physiological dose of melatonin (0,1 nM) and in the third group the splenocytes were incubated with pharmacological dose of melatonin (0,1 [tM). The supernatant of the culture of splenocytes from the three groups (that contains IFNy) was exposed to macrophages to fmd out the response of macrophages in the production of H202. The results of the study suggest that there are no significant difference in the ability splenocytes from young BALB/c mice and old BALB/c mice to produce IFN-y Physiological dose of melatonin (0,1 nM) is capable of increasing significantly IFN-y production by the splenocytes of young BALB/c mice and old BALB/c mice, whereas pharmacological dose of melatonin (0,1 iiM) can not increase IFN-y production. Both physiological and pharmacological doses of melatonin can not increase 11202 production by macrophages from mice. Statistically there are no direct correlation between IFN-y production by splenocytes from young and old BAB/c mice post-incubation with physiological or pharmacological dose of melatonin to H202 production. Key words : melatonin, IFN-y, 11202