Melatonin inhibits embryonic rat H9c2 cells growth through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Our findings suggested that high level of melatonin could be capable of inhibiting growth through the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, thereby interfering with embryonic heart development. Considering this study is based on H9c2 embryonic rat cardiac cells, future additional studies using human embryonic cardiac cell are warranted.