Melatonin is expected to be used by astronauts to combat osteoporosis

a new study in Japan has found that melatonin inhibits bone absorption in space. According to the researchers, melatonin is expected to be used in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in astronauts in the future.
is a physiological phenomenon in which the volume and density of bone tissue decrease at lower stress levels. Bone absorption and bone growth usually exist at the same time, forming a dynamic balance, while space weight loss and higher levels of ionizing radiation environment easily cause osteoporosis of astronauts.
Researchers at Japan's Kimazawa University and other institutions reported in the American Journal of Pinego Research that, in cooperation with Japanese astronauts on the International Space Station, goldfish scales were used to conduct experiments in space on melatonin and then brought samples back to Earth. Goldfish scales have the same hormonal response mechanism as mammalian bones and can therefore be used as a model for bone research, the researchers said. The bone bud cells of goldfish scales, i.e. those in the early stages of bone cell development, are capable of producing melatonin.
study found that in space, the synthetic level of melatonin, a goldfish scale, declined. Comparing the experiments, it was found that the absorption of goldfish scales after artificial addition of melatonin was inhibited and the bone absorption slowed down compared to goldfish scales that did not add melatonin.
team believes the findings suggest that melatonin could be used in the future to develop drugs to help astronauts in space prevent and treat osteoporosis. (Source: Xinhua News Agency, Huayi)
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