Effect of Morinda officinalis capsule on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the therapeutic effects of Morinda officinalis capsules (MOP) on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.


METHODS
Six-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were induced for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) by bilateral ovariectomy and divided into seven groups as follows: sham-operated group, ovariectomized (OVX) control group, OVX treated with xianlinggubao (XLGB) (270 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), OVX treated with alendronate sodium (ALN) (3 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), and OVX treated with Morinda officinalis capsule (MOP) of graded doses (90, 270 and 810 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹) groups. Oral treatments were administered daily on the 4(th) week after ovariectomy and lasted for 12 weeks. The bone mineral density was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and osteocalcin (OC) levels in the serum and plasma were determined by standard colorimetric and enzyme immunoassays methods. Bone biomechanical properties and morphological parameters were analyzed by three-point bending test and histomorphometry respectively.


RESULTS
Morinda officinalis capsules at all doses were able to significantly prevent the OVX-induced loss of bone mass due to diminishing serum AKP and TRAP levels while elevating OC level in the plasma. Morinda officinalis capsules also enhanced the bone strength and prevented the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture.


CONCLUSIONS
Morinda officinalis capsules possess potent anti-osteoporotic activity in OVX rats which could be an effective treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Ye
Y
Li
Healn Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Chongqing 401520, China.
Shan-Shan
SS
Lü
Healn Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Chongqing 401520, China.
Gui-Ying
GY
Tang
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Min
M
Hou
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Qing
Q
Tang
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Xiao-Na
XN
Zhang
College of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Wei-Hai
WH
Chen
Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nature Medicine Research, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China.
Gang
G
Chen
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Qiang
Q
Xue
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Cong-Cong
CC
Zhang
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Ji-Fen
JF
Zhang
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Yi
Y
Chen
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica-the key constructing discipline by the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. Electronic address: xuxiaoyu@swu.edu.cn.
Xiao-Yu
XY
Xu
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood; D032066:Morinda; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007527:Isoenzymes; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
Biomechanics; Bone Metabolism; Bone Mineral Density; Morinda officinalis capsule; Morphology; Osteoporosis