MELATONIN INHIBITS GROWTH OF CULTURED HUMAN UVEAL MELANOMA-CELLS

The effects of melatonin on the growth of human uveal melanoma cells w ere studied in vitro. Three continuous uveal melanoma cell lines were tested. Cells were plated into multi-well plates. After 24 h, melatoni n was added to the medium at concentrations from 0.001 to 1000 nM. Cel ls were collected and counted after 5 days and compared with the contr ols. Melatonin inhibited the growth of melanoma cells in a dose-depend ent manner (0.1-10 nM) with a mean inhibition rate of 50%. The uptake of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) by the melanoma cells was also measured. M elatonin inhibited the uptake of BrdU of melanoma cells at concentrati ons of 0.1-10 nM with a mean inhibition rate of 40%. These results ind icate that melatonin may offer a new treatment for metastatic uveal me lanoma.