A groundbreaking study from McGill University has revealed a previously unknown communication link between body muscles and the brain, specifically the pituitary gland, with implications for female fertility. Researchers discovered that a protein produced in muscle tissue plays a key role in regulating hormone release from the pituitary gland, potentially opening up new avenues for treating infertility.
The study, published in Science, identifies myostatin, a protein known for inhibiting muscle growth, as a critical factor in the regulation of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is essential for egg maturation in the ovaries. Deficient FSH levels are a known cause of infertility.
“Prior to this, the interaction between muscles and the pituitary gland was not understood,” said Daniel Bernard, senior author and professor in McGill’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. “This discovery adds a new layer to our understanding of the body’s interconnected systems.”
While the research has significant potential for advancing infertility treatments, it also raises concerns about the unintended consequences of targeting myostatin. Myostatin-blocking drugs are currently being developed to treat muscular dystrophy and preserve muscle mass in patients using weight loss drugs like Ozempic, which can lead to both fat and muscle loss. However, the study indicates that inhibiting myostatin could have a detrimental effect on fertility.
In experiments with mice, the researchers observed that lowering myostatin levels led to delayed puberty and reduced fertility. Interestingly, restoring myostatin levels increased FSH, although whether this could fully restore fertility remains to be studied.
“We found that drugs designed to build muscle in conditions like muscular dystrophy reduced FSH levels in female mice, highlighting the potential risks to reproductive health,” explained first author Luisina Ongaro, a research associate in Bernard’s lab.
The findings also suggest that variations in myostatin levels could help explain delayed puberty, missed periods in female athletes, or unexplained infertility.
Moving forward, the team intends to investigate whether these findings extend to humans, a prospect that could pave the way for more effective infertility treatments while cautioning against the broader application of myostatin-blocking therapies.
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