Melatonin strengthens aging bones

Canadian researchers from McGill University, working under the guidance of Professor Faleh Tamimi, have found that melatonin-containing dietary supplements increase the bone strength of old mice. The authors believe that melatonin can also be useful for human bones.

The process of destruction and renewal of bone tissue is regulated by circadian rhythms. Osteoclasts – cells that destroy bone – are more active at night, while osteoblasts – cells responsible for the formation of bone tissue – are more active during daylight hours. As we age, the quality of sleep deteriorates, which leads to an increase in the activity of osteoclasts and, accordingly, accelerates the destruction of bones.

It has long been known that the hormone melatonin regulates the body's biological clock and has the ability to improve sleep quality. Based on this, the researchers suggested that taking melatonin-containing dietary supplements may help normalize the circadian rhythms of old mice, which, in turn, will reduce the activity of osteoclasts and slow down the process of bone degeneration.

To test this hypothesis, twenty male rats, whose age at the beginning of the study was 22 months, which approximately corresponds to the 60-year age for humans, were given a melatonin-containing dietary supplement dissolved in water for 10 weeks (the approximate equivalent of 6 years of human life). At the end of this period, the condition of the femoral bones of experimental animals was compared with the condition of the bones of control animals that did not receive melatonin.

A series of tests for bone density and strength demonstrated stable results, indicating that taking melatonin significantly improves the condition of bone tissue and is a potential means to combat age-related osteoporosis.

In the near future, the authors plan to find out exactly how melatonin acts in this case: whether it prevents the process of destruction of bone tissue or reverses it. At the same time, they note that the results obtained are preliminary and patients with osteoporosis should not take melatonin-containing supplements until additional animal experiments and clinical studies are conducted.

Article by Tresguerres et al. Melatonin dietary supplement as an anti-aging therapy for age-related bone loss is published in the journal Rejuvenation Research.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on materials from McGill University: Melatonin makes old bones stronger.

27.005.2014