- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with changes in gut microbiota composition and intestinal inflammation.
- Melatonin is a hormone synthesized in the brain that regulates the circadian rhythm and is used as a supplement to promote sleep.
- Melatonin is also produced in the intestine, where it can modulate the gut immune system, suggesting this hormone may have potential as a therapeutic for IBD.
- A new study in a mouse model of IBD now shows that melatonin caused changes in the gut microbiota composition, resulting in increased disease severity and delayed recovery from IBD.
Although biologics and immunosuppressive drugs can be effective against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), some individuals do not respond to these treatments and require surgery.
The hormone melatonin, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle, is also produced in the intestines, where it can modulate immune response.
These properties of melatonin have led to an interest in utilizing this hormone for the treatment of IBD. However, studies examining the ability of melatonin to treat IBD have produced contradictory results.
A recent study published in the journal Microorganisms now suggests that melatonin worsened gut inflammation in a mouse model of IBD and, during remission, delayed recovery. Notably, these effects of melatonin on gut inflammation were mediated by changes in the gut microbiota composition.
“[Melatonin is] generally thought to be harmless. After all, it’s a hormone and can help regulate sleep. However, our study shows that people should be careful about taking hormone supplements and that the ingestion of melatonin as a supplement can have adverse effects on health,” Dr. Cristina Ribeiro de Barros Cardoso, a study author and a professor at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, said in a press release.
“We should take great care with medications, hormone supplements, or hormones offered as food supplements,” she added. “You buy a ‘food supplement’ in a pharmacy and…
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