title: Gastrodin prevents steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rats by anti-apoptosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrodin, as one of the major components extracted from the Chinese herb Gastrodia elata Bl., has many biologic effects, one of which is anti-apoptosis. Apoptosis is considered to be one of the pathogenetic mechanisms in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Therefore, we performed this study to investigate whether gastrodin has the potential to prevent steroid-induced ONFH.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 18 male adult Wistar rats were divided equally into three groups: the steroid group, the gastrodin+steroid group, and the control group. Osteonecrosis was induced by low-dose lipopolysaccharide and subsequent high-dose methylprednisolone. Histomorphometric method was used to determine the incidence of osteonecrosis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to detect apoptotic index of osteocytes and osteoblasts. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect mRNA and protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3. Fisher's exact probability test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Turkey's post hoc test were used to examine significant differences between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of osteonecrosis in the gastrodin+steroid group (16.7%) was significantly lower than that in the steroid group (83.3%). According to TUNEL assay, the apoptotic indices in the steroid group, the gastrodin+steroid group, and the control group were 91.1%, 27.1%, and 5.4%, respectively, and the differences were significant between groups. Compared with the control group and the gastrodin+steroid group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly higher in the steroid group, but the Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly lower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastrodin could prevent steroid-induced ONFH by anti-apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Huifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Erping
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China. Email: penghao8668@163.com.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Jianlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Hongsong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001592:Benzyl Alcohols; D005960:Glucosides; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D013256:Steroids; C045345:gastrodin