Effects of berberine on differentiation and bone resorption of osteoclasts derived from rat bone marrow cells.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of berberine on osteoclastic differentiation and bone resorption action in vitro, and to investigate the cellular mechanism of its inhibitory effects on bone resorption.


METHODS
The multinucleated osteoclasts (MNCs) were derived by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and dexamethasone from bone marrow cells in the coculture system with primary osteoblastic cells. The tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and image analysis of bone resorption pit on dental slices were used to identify osteoclast. The activity of TRAP was measured by p-nitrophenyl sodium phosphate assay. The bone resorption pit area on the bone slices formed by osteoclasts was measured by computer image processing.


RESULTS
At the concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10 micromol/L, berberine dose-dependently suppressed the formation of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells, the TRAP activity and the osteoclastic bone resorption. The strongest inhibitory effect was exhibited at the concentration of 10 micromol/L, with the inhibiting rate of 60.45%, 42.12% and 72.69% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Berberine can decrease bone loss through inhibition of osteoclast formation, differentiation and bone resorption.
Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Peng
P
Wei
Lei
L
Jiao
Lu-Ping
LP
Qin
Fei
F
Yan
Ting
T
Han
Qiao-Yan
QY
Zhang
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
D007527:Isoenzymes; D001599:Berberine; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase