title: Coadministration of puerarin (low dose) and zinc attenuates bone loss and suppresses bone marrow adiposity in ovariectomized rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Puerarin is a phytoestrogen that shows osteogenic effects. Meanwhile, zinc stimulates bone formation and inhibits bone resorption. The study aims to investigate the effects of coadministration of puerarin (low dose) and zinc on bone formation in ovariectomized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Co-administration or use alone of puerarin (low dose) and/or zinc were gavaged in OVX rats. The estrogen-like effects were detected by the uterus weight, the histologic observation and the IGF-1 protein expression. The osteogenic effects were determined by bone histomorphometric and mechanical parameters, osteogenic and adipogenic blood markers, and so on.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that oral administration of puerarin (low dose) plus zinc didn't significantly increase uterus weight. The glandular epithelial of endometrium had no proliferation and no protein expression of IGF-1. Moreover, co-administration attenuated bone loss and biomechanical decrease more than single use of puerarin or zinc (p<0.05). Next, combined administration of puerarin and zinc promoted the serological level of osteocalcin, bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) proliferation, and the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and suppressed the serological level of adiponectin and adiposity in bone marrow (BM).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, co-administrated puerarin (low dose) and zinc can partially reverse OVX-induced bone loss and suppress the adiposity of BM in rats, which shed light on the potential use of puerarin and zinc in the treatment of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: The Core Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Core Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Xiyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Shengnan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: kqlibinbin@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010052:Ovariectomy; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013977:Tibia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D015675:Osteocalcin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D015032:Zinc; C033607:puerarin
keywords: Adipogenesis; Osteogenesis; Osteoporosis; Puerarin; Zinc