title: The effects of an antiosteoporosis herbal formula containing epimedii herba, ligustri lucidi fructus and psoraleae fructus on density and structure of rat long bones under tail-suspension, and its mechanisms of action.
abstract: An innovative anti-osteoporosis herbal formula containing epimedii herba, ligustri lucidi fructus and psoraleae fructus (ELP) has been previously shown its bone protecting effects in ovariectomized osteoporotic rats and also in post-menopausal osteopenic women. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of ELP against bone loss during physical inactivity or weightlessness. A hindlimb unloading tail-suspended rat model was used for studying the effects of ELP on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone micro-architecture. For in vitro mechanistic studies, rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and mouse macrophage cells (RAW264.7) were used for studying the effects of ELP on osteogenic/adipogenic differentiations and osteoclastogenesis, respectively. Our data illustrated that ELP had a significant preventive effect against bone loss induced by tail-suspension (TS) at day 28 (p < 0.01) as indicated in the reduction in BMD loss and the preservation of bone micro-architecture. ELP could significantly promote the osteogenesis and suppress the adipogenesis (p < 0.05) in MSCs. Besides, significant inhibition of osteoclast formation (p < 0.01) was found in ELP-treated RAW264.7 cells upon receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand induction. Our study presents the first scientific evidence that ELP had a significant preventive effect against bone loss induced by TS through the actions of enhancing osteogenesis, suppressing adipogenesis and osteoclastogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Wing-Sum
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Hing-Lok
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ching-Po
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Wai-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Shum
authors.forename: Chun-Wai
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Kwok-Pui
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Clara Bik-San
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Leung-Kim
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Chun-Hay
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Ping-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002460:Cell Line; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D031659:Ligustrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000187:drug effects; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D029907:Psoralea / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C046314:epimedii flavone