Effect of intravenous and intracoronary melatonin as an adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: Results of the Melatonin Adjunct in the acute myocaRdial Infarction treated with Angioplasty trial

The MARIA randomized trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of melatonin for the reduction of reperfusion injury in patients undergoing revascularization for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This was a prespecified interim analysis. A total of 146 patients presenting with STEMI within 6 hours of chest pain onset were randomized to receive intravenous and intracoronary melatonin (n= 73) or placebo (n= 73) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Primary endpoint was myocardial infarct size as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 6 +/- 2 days. Secondary endpoints were changes in left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction (LVEF) at 130 +/- 10 days post-PPCI and adverse events during the first year. No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between groups. MRI was performed in 108 patients (86.4%). Myocardial infarct size by MRI evaluated 6 +/- 2 days post-PPCI, did not differ between melatonin and placebo groups (P=. 63). Infarct size assessed by MRI at 130 +/- 10 days post-PPCI, performed in 91 patients (72.8%), did not show statistically significant differences between groups (P=. 27). The recovery of LVEF from 6 +/- 2 to 130 +/- 10 days post-PPCI was greater in the placebo group (60.0 +/- 10.4% vs 53.1 +/- 12.5%, P=. 008). Both left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were lower in the placebo group (P=. 01). The incidence of adverse events at 1 year was comparable in both groups (P=. 150). Thus, in a nonrestricted STEMI population, intravenous and intracoronary melatonin was not associated with a reduction in infarct size and has an unfavourable effect on the ventricular volumes and LVEF evolution. Likewise, there is lack of toxicity of melatonin with the doses used.