Progress of relation between melatonin and epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common disease of the central nervous system.Previous studies have shown that it is associated with circadian rhythm, however, the exact mechanism of action is still unknown.Currently, it has been proved by a lot of evidences that the secretion of melatonin is regulated by circadian rhythm, as well as the expression level of melatonin can feedback and regulate circadian rhythm.The relationship between melatonin and epilepsy is closely rela-ted.Its anticonvulsive effect has been proved in a number of basic experiments.Simultaneously the serum concentration of melatonin in epileptic patients is significantly lower than that in general population.The frequency of seizure in the epileptic model mice are significantly reduced, after preconditioning with melatonin.However, the anticonvulsant effect of melatonin in the related clinical trials is not clear.This article mainly introduces the current research progress of the relationship between melatonin and epilepsy, and summarizes the related experimental results and the mechanism of action. Key words: Melatonin; Epilepsy; Circadian rhythms; Sleep disorders