ReviewDigestive diseases and sciences2002
Gastrointestinal melatonin: localization, function, and clinical relevance.
Review in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2002. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 209 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
209 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 648 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the impact of melatonin on cancer-related fatigue: a dose-response meta-analysis with GRADE evidence evaluation.BMC cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Update on the role of melatonin in the prevention of cancer tumorigenesis and in the management of cancer correlates, such as sleep-wake and mood disturbances: review and remarks.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2013Pooled it
- Chronomics affirm extending scope of lead in phase of duodenal vs. pineal circadian melatonin rhythms.Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2005Pooled it
- A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Clinical Study of the Effects of Alpha-s1 Casein Hydrolysate on Sleep Disturbance.Nutrients · 2019Trial
- Melatonin regulation as a possible mechanism for probiotic (VSL#3) in irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized double-blinded placebo study.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2015Trial
- Effects of melatonin on appetite and other symptoms in patients with advanced cancer and cachexia: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2013Trial
- Agomelatine improves symptom severity and quality of life in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: insights from a randomized controlled clinical trial.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- The Gastro-Circadian Metabolic Axis: A Comprehensive Framework for Chronotherapy in Gastroenterology.Cureus · 2026Review
- Fecal melatonin as a biomarker of emerging circadian maturity and gut microbiota in infancy.Npj biological timing and sleep · 2026Article
- Nutritional Modulation of Melatonin-SIRT1 Signaling by Octanoic Acid-Rich Enteral Nutrition Protects Against Radiation-Induced Intestinal Injury.Food science & nutrition · 2026Article
- Therapeutic Potential of Melatonin in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Molecular Mechanisms, Preclinical Evidence and Clinical Implications.Journal of pineal research · 2026Review
- Microscopic and computational analysis of the stomach, duodenum, and liver of rats with induced hyperprolactinemia treated with exogenous melatonin.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- Tryptophan's Journey Through Pregnancy: The Role of Serotonin.International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR · 2026Review
- The Link Between Circadian Disruption and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Insights from Peripheral Inflammation.Current opinion in physiology · 2025Article
- The Influence of Different Light Spectra on Broiler Chicken Endocrine Systems and Productivity.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Colon delivery of agomelatine nanoparticles in the treatment of TNBS induced ulcerative colitis.Drug delivery and translational research · 2025Article
- Melatonin and angiogenesis potential in stem cells.Stem cell research & therapy · 2025Review
- Fasting Gastric Juice Melatonin Levels in Relation to Gastroduodenal Pathologies Among Zambian Patients: A Cross Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Deciphering the complex biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of melatonin.Hormones (Athens, Greece) · 2025Article
149 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract of vertebrate species is a rich source of extrapineal melatonin. The concentration of melatonin in the gastrointestinal tissues surpasses blood levels by 10-100 times and there is at least 400x more melatonin in the gastrointestinal tract than in the pineal gland. The gastrointestinal tract contributes significantly to circulating concentrations of melatonin, especially during the daytime and melatonin may serve as an endocrine, paracrine, or autocrine hormone influencing the regeneration and function of epithelium, enhancing the immune system of the gut, and reducing the tone of gastrointestinal muscles. As binding sites for melatonin exhibit circadian variation in various species, it has been hypothesized that some melatonin found in the gastrointestinal tract might be of pineal origin. Unlike the photoperiodically regulated production of melatonin in the pineal, the release of gastrointestinal melatonin seems to be related to the periodicity of food intake. Phylogenetically, melatonin and its binding sites were detected in the gastrointestinal tract of lower vertebrates, birds, and mammals. Melatonin was found also in large quantities in the embryonic tissue of the mammalian and avian gastrointestinal tract. Food intake and, paradoxically, also longterm food deprivation resulted in an increase of tissue and plasma concentrations of melatonin. Melatonin release may have a direct effect on many gastrointestinal tissues but may also well influence the digestive tract indirectly, via the central nervous system and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. Melatonin prevents ulcerations of gastrointestinal mucosa by an antioxidant action, reduction of secretion of hydrochloric acid, stimulation of the immune system, fostering epithelial regeneration, and increasing microcirculation. Because of its unique properties, melatonin could be considered for prevention or treatment of colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and childhood colic.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.