Potential anti-osteoporotic effects of herbal extracts on osteoclasts, osteoblasts and chondrocytes in vitro.
BACKGROUND
Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the most serious diseases in the modern world, and OP patients frequently suffer from fragility fractures in the hip, spine and wrist, resulting in a limited quality of life. Although bisphosphonates (BPs) are the most effective class of anti-bone-resorptive drugs currently available and the most commonly prescribed for the clinical treatment of OP, they are known to cause serious side effects such as bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Novel therapeutic materials that can replace the use of BPs have therefore been developed.


METHODS
We commenced an institutional collaborative project in which candidates of herbal extracts were selected from more than 400 bioactive herbal products for their potential therapeutic effects not only in OP, but also in oral and skeletal diseases. In the present study, we report on 3 Chinese medical herbal extracts from the root barks of Melia azedarach, Corydalis turtschaninovii, and Cynanchum atratum.


RESULTS
All of these extracts inhibited osteoclast proliferation and induced apoptosis by up-regulation of caspase activity and increase of mitochondrial pro-apoptotic proteins expression. Furthermore, the extracts enhanced differentiation, but did not affect proliferation of both osteoblasts and chondrocytes. The osteo-inducible effect was also observed in cultured primary bone marrow cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Although these extracts have been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, there are no reports to our knowledge, on their therapeutic effects in OP. In this study, we elucidate the potency of these herbal extracts as novel candidates for OP therapy.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Showa University, 2-1-1 Kitasenzoku, Ota-ku, Tokyo 145-8515, Japan. mukudai@dent.showa-u.ac.jp.
Yoshiki
Y
Mukudai
Seiji
S
Kondo
Tomoyuki
T
Koyama
Chunnan
C
Li
Seika
S
Banka
Akiko
A
Kogure
Kazunaga
K
Yazawa
Satoru
S
Shintani
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D031311:Corydalis; D031105:Cynanchum; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D031585:Melia; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008517:Phytotherapy; D024301:Plant Bark; D018517:Plant Roots; D011788:Quality of Life; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D004164:Diphosphonates; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D020169:Caspases