title: Effect of Qing'e formula on circulating sclerostin levels in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: Serum sclerostin is positively associated with serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Our preliminary studies confirmed that Qing'e formula (QEF) could effectively increase serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP), but the effect of supplementation with QEF on serum sclerostin is unknown. This study investigated the effects of supplementation of QEF on serum sclerostin levels in patients with PMOP. Totally 120 outpatients and inpatients with PMOP treated in our hospital between January and October 2012 were randomly divided into QEF+calcium group, alfacalcidol+calcium group, and placebo+calcium group (n=40 each), with a follow-up period of 2 years. The serum levels of sclerostin, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, and bone turnover markers (β-CTX, N-MID and T-PINP) at baseline and at the 6th month, 1st year, 1.5th year, and 2nd year after treatment were measured. The results showed that the levels of circulating sclerostin were increased significantly at the 6th month after treatment in QEF+calcium group and alfacalcidol+calcium group as compared with placebo+calcium group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the former two groups (P>0.05). The levels of β-CTX, N-MID and T-PINP in serum were decreased in both QEF+calcium group and alfacalcidol+calcium group at the 6th month after treatment, without significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). But the levels were significantly lower than that in placebo+calcium group (P<0.05). These results suggest that the mechanism by which QEF modulates bone metabolism in patients with PMOP might be related with the effect of QEF in increasing sclerostin expression. Our findings provide a scientific rationale for using QEF as an effective drug to prevent bone loss in PMOP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. shenlinhb@sina.cn.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011506:Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D011506:Proteins; C013247:sclerotin; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; C008088:alfacalcidol