Cysteine Prevents Menopausal Syndromes in Ovariectomized Mouse.
Cysteine (Cys) is well known to be involved in oxidation-reduction reactions, serving as a source of sulfides in the body. Amino acids are known to improve menopausal symptoms and significantly reduce morbidity. This study aims to find an unrevealed effect of Cys with estrogenic and osteogenic actions. Ovariectomized (OVX) mice were treated with Cys daily for 8 weeks. Estrogen-related and osteoporosis-related factors were analyzed in the vagina, serum, and tibia. Cys was treated in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and ER-positive human breast cancer Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells. Cysteine administration ameliorated overweightness of the body and vaginal atrophy in the OVX mice. Cysteine increased the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and 17β-estradiol in the serum of the OVX mice and improved the bone mineral density in the OVX mice. In MG-63 cells, Cys increased the proliferation, ERβ messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, and estrogen response element (ERE) activity. Cysteine increased the ALP activity and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. In MCF-7 cells, Cys also increased the proliferation, ERβ mRNA expression, and ERE activity. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Cys has estrogenic and osteogenic activities in OVX mice, MG-63 cells, and MCF-7 cells. The novel insights gained here strongly imply the potential use of Cys as a new agent for postmenopausal women.
Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Na-Ra
NR
Han
Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Na-Rae
NR
Kim
Department of Pharmacology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea hmkim@khu.ac.kr.
Hyung-Min
HM
Kim
Department of Food Technology and Department of Nanobio Tronics, Hoseo University, Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea hjjeong@hoseo.edu.
Hyun-Ja
HJ
Jeong
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000639:trends; D050177:Overweight / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D004958:Estradiol; D003545:Cysteine
alkaline phosphatase; bone mineral density; cysteine; estrogen; menopause