Introduction: Оbesity has been labelled as a “non-infectious pandemic of our time”. It increases the risk of several debilitating diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes mellitus, tumors, and other pathologies. Up to date both therapeutic and preventive approaches have been largely unsuccessful. At the present time body mass index (BMI) is considered the most common anthropometric method to diagnose obesity. According to a variety of in vivo and in vitro studies, exogenous melatonin has a pronounced effect on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, supplementation with melatonin improves oxidative stress and insulin resistance preventing hypertrophy of the adipose tissue and body weight gain.
Aim: We evaluated the effect of melatonin supplementation on BMI and retroperitoneal fat mass in diet-induced obesity rat model.
Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 32), provided with standard rat chow and tap water freely available, were randomly divided into four groups as follows: control group – rats received standard rodent diet and tap water; melatonin group – rats received standard rodent diet and tap water, and melatonin administered per os (4 mg/kg/24h); fructose group – rats received standard rodent diet and tap water supplemented with 20% fructose; and fructose plus melatonin group – rats received standard rodent diet and tap water supplemented with 20% fructose, and melatonin administered per os (4 mg/kg/24 h). At the end of the experimental period, the animals were sacrificed, zoometric measurements were taken and BMI was calculated.
Results: Statistically significant differences were observed between the anthropometric parameters of the experimental groups. When compared with the control group, fructose-supplemented rats showed a remarkable increase in retroperitoneal fat mass and BMI. In contrast, groups supplemented with melatonin showed significant reductions in these parameters.
Conclusion: Melatonin supplementation reduces fructose-induced obesity. In particular, body weight, retroperitoneal fat mass and BMI were remarkably decreased in melatonin-treated groups.
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