A groundbreaking discovery by McGill University researchers has unveiled a previously unknown line of communication between body muscle and the pituitary gland, suggesting a potential impact on female fertility. Their study, published in Science, highlights how a muscle-produced protein helps regulate the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a key hormone in egg maturation.
New Insight into Hormonal Communication
Led by Professor Daniel Bernard from McGill’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, the research challenges prior understanding of bodily interactions.
“Until now, it was not known that these two organs talked to each other or how they did so. This discovery opens up a new chapter in our understanding of the body and its complex connections,” Bernard stated.
How Muscle Growth Could Impact Fertility
FSH, produced by the pituitary gland, is essential for egg development in the ovaries, and its deficiency can lead to infertility. The study focused on myostatin, a protein that acts as a natural inhibitor of muscle growth.
Through experiments with mice, researchers found that lowering myostatin levels delayed puberty and reduced fertility. Conversely, restoring myostatin increased FSH production, though its ability to fully restore fertility is still under investigation.
Implications for Muscle-Enhancing Drugs
Medications that block myostatin are being explored as treatments for muscular dystrophy and to counteract muscle loss from GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic. However, this study raises new concerns about potential risks.
“We found that experimental drugs created to treat muscle-wasting conditions lowered FSH levels in female mice. While these drugs may effectively grow muscle, there is a risk of disrupting reproductive hormones and fertility,” said Luisina Ongaro, the study’s first author and a research associate in Bernard’s lab.
Future Research and Potential Applications
Beyond drug-related concerns, this breakthrough opens new avenues for exploring how natural variations in myostatin levels might explain:
- Puberty timing
- Missed periods in female athletes
- Unexplained infertility
Researchers now aim to determine whether these findings in mice apply to humans, a prospect they believe is promising.
Related topics:
