title: Flavonoids induce the expression of acetylcholinesterase in cultured osteoblasts.
abstract: Flavonoids, a group of natural compounds mainly derived from plants, are known to possess osteogenic effects in bone cells. Here, we aimed to test if flavonoid could induce a cholinergic enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), as well as bone differentiation. In cultured rat osteoblasts, twenty flavonoids, deriving from Chinese herbs and having known induction of alkaline phosphatase (ALP1) expression, were tested for its induction activity on AChE expression. Eleven flavonoids showed the induction, and five of them had robust activation of AChE expression, including baicalin, calycosin, genistin, hyperin and pratensein: the induction of AChE included the levels of mRNA, protein and enzymatic activity. Moreover, the flavonoid-induced AChE expression in cultured osteoblast was in proline-rich membrane anchor (PRiMA)-linked tetrameric globular form (G4) only. In parallel, the expression of PRiMA was also induced by the application of flavonoids. The flavonoid-induced AChE in the cultures was not affected by estrogen receptor blocker, ICI 182,780. Taken together, the induction of PRiMA-linked AChE in osteoblast should be independent to classical estrogen signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Miranda L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Cathy W C
authors.initials: CWC
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ava Y Y
authors.initials: AYY
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Tina T X
authors.initials: TTX
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yung H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: botsim@ust.hk.
authors.forename: Karl W K
authors.initials: KWK
authors.lastname: Tsim
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D051381:Rats; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase
keywords: AChE; Estrogen; Flavonoid; Osteoporosis; PRiMA