Investigation of the effect of melatonin administration on inflammatory mediators; MMP‐2, TGF‐β and VEGF levels in rats with sepsis

Aims Sepsis causes life‐threatening tissue and organ dysfunctions caused by endogenous mediators in response to infection. Melatonin is a powerful endogenous anti‐inflammatory agent and effective in reducing cellular damage. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in serum and liver tissue levels of VEGF, TGF‐β and MMP‐2 in melatonin‐treated septic rats. Materials and methods Twenty‐one Wistar‐albino male rats were included in this study. Rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 is sham‐operated control (C) group, Group 2 is caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) group and Group 3 is melatonin‐treated (10 mg/kg) (M‐CLP) group. Serum and tissue samples were analysed. All procedures were carried out according to the ethical rules specified in Helsinki Declaration. Results Sera MMP‐2 levels were found higher than tissue MMP‐2 levels in C and CLP (respectively, P = .048, P = .01). In CLP and M‐CLP, serum TGF‐β levels were higher than tissue TGF‐β levels(respectively, P = .05, P = .01). Serum VEGF levels in CLP were found to be significantly higher than both C and M‐CLP(P