Any Scientists/Doctors here.....subject Melatonin

I did email drdon regarding this but, in case he doesn't reply (or it isn't his specialty)........
My son is in Grade 12 and he has an assignment on Melatonin. They (it's a group project) have been able to track down most of the information they need for their report but have now run up against a brick wall.

One of the questions they have to answer is how the brain produced hormone Melatonin is broken down (decomposes) in the human body. I work in a library and have showed him how to use Infotrac (which accesses medical journals) and the answer still seems to difficult to pin down (or maybe it's the lack of being a Dr. that causes problems deciphering the information). He phoned a local pharmacist ( even a naturalpathic store), searched the net, and, of course, borrowed a number of public library books. None of the sources stated what happens to it once it penetrates a cell. The pharmacist says not all is known yet but the teacher is positive an answer can be found.

Does anyone here know the answer? Or can give a refeered source that states what happens to Melatonin is, as of yet, unknown.

Thank you from the mother of a very frustrated son (who is an honour student and has given this his best shot).

Wonder if this site can give you any help.
Janett
http://nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/22

Thank you Janett!!! Ü The above isn't as mind numbing as many I've seen him struggle to decipher and looks (to a medically uneducated eye) to be very promising....he has brought up so many sites that the medical dictionary he borrowed has been extremely well thumbed (only to discover they didn't contain the answer).


© 2005 Hardeland and Pandi-Perumal; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Ü

Janett which search engine did you use to find the above?




This message was edited Oct 26, 2005 1:49 PM

Google.se
http://www.google.se/search?hl=sv&q=Melatonin+decomposes&btnG=Google-s%C3%B6kning&meta=

drdon also supplied information from a number of sources so hopefully your link and the ones he sent will lead to an acceptable answer. BTW the teacher just did some research as well and found out it isn't as cut and dried as she originally thought.;) At least his group has till Nov 4 to comb through the information.

Thank you again. :)

will you let us know Pam when and if you find out the answer?

If *they* find the answer I certainly will Linda. ;) I took pre-occupational therapy and my biggest downfall was deciphering and remembering medical terminology. I'm avoiding this like the plague. ;b

If any of you find information about the benefits of melatonin, see if you can find 2 new researches that identify more areas that melatonin helps. My husband saw an article and was so busy trying to remember the word "melatonin" that he forgot what the articles recommended. I did some research and saw info about epliepsy, visiual impairment and arthritis. Has anyone seen those? Where?