title: [Icariin promote maturation of osteoblasts in vitro by an estrogen-independent mechanism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the estrogenic activity of icariin and genistein with estrogen-dependent human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  MCF-7 cells were incubated with media containing 5% charcoal dextran-treated FBS in phenol red-free media for 48 h. CCK-8 kit was used to study the impact of defferent concentration of icariin and genistein on MCF-7 proliferation in vitro. Optimal concentration icariin and genistein were added into medium and total RNA was isolated after 12, 24, 36, 48 h. The gene expression of ERalpha, ERbeta, PS2, and PR were investigated by Real-time RT-PCR Total protein was also isolated and secretion of ERalpha, ERbeta, PS2, and PR were examined by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  10 micromol x L(-1) icariin and genistein could promote the proliferation of MCF-7 evidently. However, the ability of genistein to promote the proliferation was better than icariin. With the concentration of 10 micromol x L(-1), genistein group had a stronger expression of ERa, PS2 and PR mRNA levels than icariin while ERbetaexpression had no significant difference in two group. The same effects were detected by western blotting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both genistein and icariin have a strong estrogen-like effect, but the estrogenic activity of genistein is stronger than icariin. It showed that the activity of icariin is stron-ger than genistein to promote ROB maturation. So it must be that icariin promotes the maturation of osteoblasts in vitro by a estogen-independent mechanism.
authors.forename: Wen-Gui
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xiao-Ni
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053766:Presenilin-2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004967:Estrogens; D005419:Flavonoids; C508861:PSEN2 protein, human; D053766:Presenilin-2; D019833:Genistein; C056599:icariin