Cardiac tissue loss is one of the most important factors leading to the unsatisfactory recovery even
after treatment of
ischemic heart disease.
Melatonin, a circadian molecule with marked
antioxidant properties, protects against
ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In particular, the myocardial protection of
melatonin is substantial. We initially focus on the cardioprotective effects of
melatonin in myocardial IR. These studies showed how
melatonin preserves the microstructure of the cardiomyocyte and reduces myocardial IR injury. Thereafter, downstream signaling pathways of
melatonin were summarized including
Janus kinase 2/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3,
nitric oxide-synthase, and nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2. Herein, we propose the clinical applications of
melatonin in several
ischemic heart diseases. Collectively, the information summarized in this review (based on in vitro, animal, and human studies) should serve as a comprehensive reference for the action of
melatonin in cardioprotection and hopefully will contribute to the design of future experimental research.