And I thought it was merely a sleep aid. In this study, scientists compared the weight, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression and anatomy of the soleus muscle in growing castrated rats treated with testosterone or melatonin. In this study, adult male rats were castrated, then given testosterone or melatonin injections. Of course, if you cut a rat’s balls off, it will result in smaller muscles, specifically the soleus weight and fiber diameter shrunk; however, testosterone and melatonin administration increased their size. IGF-1 immunostaining observed in the satellite cells and periphery of the myofibers was least intense in the castrated group. Strong staining of IGF-1 was observed in the testosterone- and melatonin-administered groups. The anatomy of myofibrils in the testosterone- and melatonin-injected groups was similar to that in sham groups in view of structure, meaning both hormones helped maintain the integrity and structure of the muscle. Thus, at least in this study, melatonin is as effective as testosterone in the prevention of atrophy.
source:www.musculardevelopment.com
