News | Muscle Protein May Be an Important Regulator of Female Fertility
New McGill University research has identified a previously unknown form of communication between skeletal muscle and the pituitary gland that may have unexpected effects on female fertility. A protein produced in muscle helps regulate pituitary hormone release and may play an important role in female reproductive function.
The findings were published in Science and may open new directions for infertility treatment.
A new muscle-pituitary connection
Scientists had not previously recognized a direct connection between skeletal muscle and the pituitary gland or understood how they communicate. The discovery reveals a new mechanism and offers insight into the body's complex internal connections.
Senior author Daniel Bernard, professor in McGill's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, said: "This breakthrough opens a new chapter in exploring how the body's different organs interact."
The relationship between protein and hormones
The study focused on the pituitary hormone follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is essential for ovarian follicle and egg maturation. FSH deficiency can cause infertility.
The muscle protein myostatin plays a critical role. Myostatin is commonly viewed as the body's "natural brake" because it limits excessive muscle growth.
In mice, reducing myostatin delayed puberty and reduced fertility. Restoring myostatin raised FSH levels, although whether it restores fertility remains under investigation.
Drug development and potential risks
Drugs that inhibit myostatin to promote muscle growth are being developed, mainly for conditions such as muscular dystrophy. Some pharmaceutical companies are also testing myostatin inhibition to preserve muscle in patients using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic. The study raises possible health risks associated with suppressing myostatin.
First author Luisina Ongaro, a researcher in Daniel Bernard's laboratory, said: "We found that experimental drugs for muscular dystrophy lowered FSH levels in female mice. Although these drugs may effectively promote muscle growth, they could also disrupt reproductive hormones and affect fertility."
Potential explanations for female fertility problems
The research may help explain natural variation. Differences in myostatin levels could contribute to irregular periods in female athletes, variation in the timing of puberty, and some unexplained infertility.
The researchers plan to determine whether the mouse findings apply to humans.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
News | Muscle Protein May Be an Important Regulator of Female Fertility
News | Muscle Protein May Be an Important Regulator of Female Fertility
New McGill University research has identified a previously unknown form of communication between skeletal muscle and the pituitary gland that may have unexpected effects on female fertility. A protein produced in muscle helps regulate pituitary hormone release and may play an important role in female reproductive function.
The findings were published in Science and may open new directions for infertility treatment.
A new muscle-pituitary connection
Scientists had not previously recognized a direct connection between skeletal muscle and the pituitary gland or understood how they communicate. The discovery reveals a new mechanism and offers insight into the body's complex internal connections.
Senior author Daniel Bernard, professor in McGill's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, said: "This breakthrough opens a new chapter in exploring how the body's different organs interact."
The relationship between protein and hormones
The study focused on the pituitary hormone follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is essential for ovarian follicle and egg maturation. FSH deficiency can cause infertility.
The muscle protein myostatin plays a critical role. Myostatin is commonly viewed as the body's "natural brake" because it limits excessive muscle growth.
In mice, reducing myostatin delayed puberty and reduced fertility. Restoring myostatin raised FSH levels, although whether it restores fertility remains under investigation.
Drug development and potential risks
Drugs that inhibit myostatin to promote muscle growth are being developed, mainly for conditions such as muscular dystrophy. Some pharmaceutical companies are also testing myostatin inhibition to preserve muscle in patients using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic. The study raises possible health risks associated with suppressing myostatin.
First author Luisina Ongaro, a researcher in Daniel Bernard's laboratory, said: "We found that experimental drugs for muscular dystrophy lowered FSH levels in female mice. Although these drugs may effectively promote muscle growth, they could also disrupt reproductive hormones and affect fertility."
Potential explanations for female fertility problems
The research may help explain natural variation. Differences in myostatin levels could contribute to irregular periods in female athletes, variation in the timing of puberty, and some unexplained infertility.
The researchers plan to determine whether the mouse findings apply to humans.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Source:
Collected online