Melatonin alleviates LPS-induced abnormal pregnancy through MTNR1B regulation of m6A

Abstract

AbstractPregnancy is a very complex and delicate process, inflammation in early pregnancy may result in pregnancy loss or defective implantation. Melatonin, mainly produced from the pineal body, which exerts several pharmacological effects. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification of eukaryotic mRNA. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between melatonin and m6A during pregnancy and elaborate the underlying protective mechanism of melatonin during pregnancy. In vitro, melatonin was found to alleviated LPS-induced reductions in the number of implantation sites. Besides, melatonin was found to alleviate the activation of inflammation, autophagy and apoptosis pathways. In vitro studies demonstrated that melatonin regulated several downstream pathways in an m6A-dependent manner via melatonin receptor MTNR1B. Our findings revealed the important roles of m6A in the establishment of pregnancy and discovered a new mechanism of how melatonin protects pregnancy.