ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Pulmonary Medicine
Synergistic Interactions of Melatonin and Glucocorticoids in Alleviating Allergic Airway Inflammation
Wang Baolan 1
Zhe zhang 1
Jipeng Wang 1
Ting Ma 1
Xiuqin Zhang 2
Guilian Chen 1
1. The Affiliated Huai'an No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
2. First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Abstract
Abstract Background: This study investigates the synergistic effects of melatonin and glucocorticoids in the management of asthma and allergic airway inflammation. While glucocorticoids are the cornerstone of asthma treatment, melatonin's anti-inflammatory properties, potentially mediated through circadian rhythm regulation, may enhance their therapeutic efficacy. Methods: A case-control clinical study was conducted to assess asthma control scores, biochemical markers, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and sleep quality. Additionally, an animal model was utilized to evaluate the effects of melatonin and dexamethasone combination therapy on airway inflammation and circadian rhythm gene expression. Results: The clinical study found significant correlations between asthma control scores, melatonin and PSQI sleep quality, suggesting that melatonin play crucial roles in asthma control. In parallel, animal experiments revealed that melatonin reduced allergic airway inflammation and stabilized circadian rhythm gene expression. Furthermore, the combination of melatonin with glucocorticoids exhibited a significantly enhanced effect in reducing allergic airway inflammation. Conclusion: Melatonin, when combined with corticosteroids, may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for allergic asthma, potentially improving asthma control through modulation of inflammation and circadian rhythm regulation. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying this synergy and to evaluate the long-term therapeutic benefits.
Summary
Keywords
allergic diseases, Asthma, Circadian Rhythm, Glucocorticoids therapy, Melatonin
Received
04 November 2025
Accepted
30 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Baolan, zhang, Wang, Ma, Zhang and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Wang Baolan
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