The Effect of Melatonin on Incretin Hormones: Results From Experimental and Randomized Clinical Studies.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the acute effects of melatonin on incretin hormone secretion (GLP-1 and GIP) and its impact on insulin secretion in humans and rats.
Results Summary
Melatonin reduced GIP secretion in both humans and rats and impaired GLP-1 secretion in rats, but did not affect glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in humans.
Population
Fifteen healthy male participants and perfused rat intestines/pancreases.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin treatment | decrease | GIP secretion | healthy male participants | - | resulted in reduced | #1 |
melatonin | decrease | GIP secretion | perfused rat intestines | - | reduced | #2 |
arterial melatonin infusion | decrease | GLP-1 secretion | perfused rat intestines | - | impaired | #3 |
melatonin | no change | glucose-stimulated insulin secretion | in vivo | - | unaffected | #4 |
melatonin | decrease | GIP secretion | healthy young men | - | reduced | #5 |
melatonin | no change | insulin secretion | healthy young men | - | did not affect | #6 |
CONTEXT: Glucose homeostasis is under circadian control through both endocrine and intracellular mechanisms, with several lines of evidence suggesting that melatonin affects glucose homeostasis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acute in vivo and in situ effects of melatonin on secretion of the incretin hormones, glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), and their impact on β-cell insulin secretion. DESIGN: A human randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study combined with a confirmatory in situ study of perfused rat intestines. SETTING: Aarhus University Hospital. METHODS: Fifteen healthy male participants were examined 2 × 2 times: an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on day 1 and an isoglycemic IV glucose infusion replicating the blood glucose profile of the OGTT day was performed on day 2. These pairs of study days were repeated on treatment with melatonin and placebo, respectively. For the in situ study, 6 rat intestines and 4 rat pancreases were perfused arterially with perfusion buffer ± melatonin. The intestines were concomitantly perfused with glucose through the luminal compartment. RESULTS: In humans, melatonin treatment resulted in reduced GIP secretion compared with placebo (ANOVA P = 0.003), an effect also observed in the perfused rat intestines (ANOVA P = 0.003), in which GLP-1 secretion also was impaired by arterial melatonin infusion (ANOVA P < 0.001). Despite a decrease in GIP levels, the in vivo glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was unaffected by melatonin (P = 0.78). CONCLUSION: Melatonin reduced GIP secretion during an oral glucose challenge in healthy young men but did not affect insulin secretion. Reduced GIP secretion was confirmed in an in situ model of the rat intestine.