title: [Effects of sophoricoside and genistein on biological characteristics of osteoblasts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of sophoricoside and genistein on the biological characteristics of osteoblasts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Osteoblasts were isolated from parietal bone of the newborn SD rats (less than 24 hours) and cultured in minimum essential medium (MEM). The effects of different concentrations of sophoricoside and genistein (10, 1 and 0.1 micromol/L) on the bone formation of osteoblasts in vitro were observed by cell proliferation rate. Differentiation of osteoblasts was evaluated by detecting the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) using 4-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt (PNPP) method and by measuring the mineralized nodiform dyed by alizarin bordeaux. And the activity of osteoprotegerin (OPG) promoters of human beings was tested by using gene cloning and reporter gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sophoricoside at 1 and 0.1 micromol/L could promote the proliferation of osteoblasts (vs control group, P < 0.05). Genistein at 10 micromol/L could inhibit the cell proliferation, while genistein at 0.1 micromol/L showed promotion to cell proliferation (vs control group, P < 0.05). The activity of ALP of osteoblasts was increased by sophoricoside at concentrations from 0.1 micromol/L to 10 micromol/L, but genistein only at concentration of 0.1 micromol/L could make it. The total areas of mineralization of the osteoblasts in 10, 1 and 0.1 micromol/L sophoricoside groups increased by 73%, 138.6% and 114.3% as compared with the control group, respectively, but those in different concentrations of genistein groups decreased. The activity of LacZ was increased by sophoricoside at concentrations from 0.1 micromol/L to 10 micromol/L, as well as by genistein at concentration of 0.1 micromol/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sophoricoside can stimulate the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts. And it shows no inhibition to bone formation of osteoblasts compared with genistein. Sophoricoside can also increase the activity of osteoprotegerin promoter and is more effective than genistein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei-zhen
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001578:Benzopyrans; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; C120642:sophoricoside; D019833:Genistein