title: The herbal formula HT042 induces longitudinal bone growth in adolescent female rats.
abstract: The effect of HT042, a blend of three herbal extracts, on longitudinal bone growth was investigated in short- and long-term rat models. In the short-term model, we divided female Sprague-Dawley rats (3 weeks old) into six groups, according to treatment: vehicle, HT042 (100 mg/kg), Phlomis umbrosa (100 mg/kg), Astragalus membranaceus (100 mg/kg), and Eleutherococcus senticosus (100 mg/kg) were administered twice daily, and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) (1 IU) was subcutaneously injected once daily. Treatments were maintained for 4 days in each case. On day 3, tetracycline (20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally (20 mg/kg) to form the fluorescent band on the growth plates. On days 2-4, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) (50 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to label proliferating cells. On day 5, the tibias were dissected and fixed in 30% sucrose. Dehydrated bone was sectioned at a thickness of 40 μm and observed. The bone growth in groups administered HT042 and rhGH was significantly increased to 433.50 ± 21.61 and 434.49 ± 15.21 μm/day, respectively, from 410.03 ± 17.4 μm/day (control). The height of the growth plates in the HT042 and rhGH groups was also significantly increased to 556.5 ± 21.1 and 544.2 ± 21.1 μm (P < .05), respectively, from 518.1 ± 4.1 μm (normal). The number of BrdU-positive cells in chondrocytes of the HT042 and rhGH groups was increased to 389 ± 36 and 627 ± 39 cells/mm² (P < .001), respectively, from 264 ± 17 cells/mm² (control). Insulin-like growth factor-1 and bone morphogenetic protein-2 in the HT042 group were highly expressed in the growth plate. In the long-term rat model, the body weight, nose-tail length, and nose-anus length were measured by microknemometry for 4 weeks. The body weight of the rhGH group was significantly increased. The nose-anus length of the HT042 and rhGH groups was significantly greater at 18.5 ± 0.3 and 18.7 ± 0.3 cm compared to 18.2 ± 0.2 cm (control).
authors.affiliation: Department of Herbal Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Yeon
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngmi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Naba Raj
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Pandit
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mikyung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Juyeon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ho-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hocheol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027885:Astragalus propinquus / Q000737:chemistry; D049628:Body Size / Q000187:drug effects; D001846:Bone Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D028001:Eleutherococcus / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D031345:Phlomis / Q000737:chemistry; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013977:Tibia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C525720:Bmp2 protein, rat; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D028321:Plant Preparations; C548904:insulin-like growth factor-1, rat; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I