| مستخلص: |
Objective We aimed to investigate (i) the preventive and therapeutic effects of Huogu Muli Prescription (HGMLP), a Chinese medical compound consisting of epimedii folium, drynariae rhizoma, and ostreae concha, on postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) rats and (ii) whether it exerts its effects by regulating the osteoclast-osteogenesis balance. Methods Forty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following six groups: (i) the sham-operated group, (ii) the model group, (iii) the Qianggu Capsule group, (iv) the calcium carbonate group, and (v, vi) the HGMLP low-dose and high-dose groups (n = 8 rats per group). After adaptive feeding, rats in all groups except the sham-operated group were treated with bilateral ovarian castration to establish the PMOP model. Each day, rats in the Qianggu Capsule group received 0.054 g/kg Qianggu Capsule suspension intragastrically, rats in the calcium carbonate group received 1.670 g/kg calcium carbonate suspension intragastrically, and rats in the HGMLP low-dose and high-dose groups received 0.188 g/kg and 0.375 g/kg HGMLP intragastrically. Rats in the sham-operated group and the model group received an equal volume of normal saline intragastrically. After 90 consecutive days, serum estradiol (E2), estrogen receptor α (ERα), procollagen type I N propeptide (PINP), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) were detected by ELISA. Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by colorimetry. Bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular separation/spacing (Tb.Sp), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and structure model index (SMI) were measured by Micro-CT, and the microstructure of cancellous bone was observed. The expressions of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK), RANK ligand (RANKL), phosphorylation of forkhead box O3 (FoxO3α), Wnt2, β-catenin, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in rat femur tissue were detected by Western blotting. Results (i)The serum levels of E2 and ERα increased in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups, compared with the model group(all P < 0.05).(ii)Compared with the model group, the serum levels of PINP, TRACP-5b decreased and PINP/TRACP-5b increased in both the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP high-dose group(all P < 0.05).(iii)The activities of T-AOC, AOD, and CAT in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups were higher than those in the model group, while the content of MDA lower (all P < 0.05).(iv)Compared with the model group, the femoral BMD, Tb.Th, and Tb.N increased in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups, while the femoral Tb.Sp and SMI decreased(all P < 0.05); the femoral BMD increased and the Tb.Sp decreased in the calcium carbonate group(all P < 0.05).(v)The protein expressions of RANKL, RANK, FoxO3α, and PPARγ in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups were lower than those in the model group, while the protein expressions of OPG, Wnt2, and β-catenin were higher(all P < 0.05). Conclusion HGMLP can significantly increase estrogen levels, inhibit osteoclast differentiation, and inhibit bone resorption in the PMOP rats. It also alleviates oxidative stress, promotes osteogenic differentiation, inhibits lipogenic differentiation, improves bone formation, and recovers the balance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts, thus achieving prevention and treatment of PMOP. The potential mechanism of HGMLP may be related to regulation via the OPG/RANKL/RANK or FoxO3α/Wnt2/β-catenin/PPARγ pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
