Melatonin (an antioxidant) does not ameliorate alcohol-induced Purkinje cell loss in the developing cerebellum.

Background: One popular mechanism proposed to account for alcohol-induced brain damage is the generation of free radicals after alcohol exposure. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that administration of an antioxidant should reduce the severity of alcohol-induced brain damage. Recently, melatonin has been shown to be an effective free-radical scavenger.