title: Bushen Qiangji Granule () medicated serum inhibits osteogenic differentiation of fibroblasts in ankylosing spondylitis by inhibiting the BMP/Smads signal pathway in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the mechanism of Bushen Qiangji Granule (, BSQJ) in restraining the osteogenic differentiation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) fifibroblasts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hip joint capsules were obtained from AS patients (n=10) receiving total hip replacement and healthy hip joint capsules from patients with hip fracture (n=10) receiving surgery as a control. Finite fifibroblast lines were established from these tissue samples to observe the effect of BSQJ on suppressing osteogenic differentiation of fifibroblasts. The expression of osteogenic marker gene corebinding factor a1 (Cbfa1) and Smad family proteins were examined by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA expression level of Cbfa1 was significantly higher in AS fibroblasts than that in normal fibroblasts and the expression of pSmad1, pSmad5, Smad4 and Cbfa1 in AS fibroblasts was also higher, demonstrating the activation of the BMP/Smads signal pathway in AS fifibroblasts. BSQJ-medicated serum not only restrained the mRNA and protein expression levels of Cbfa1 and inhibited protein expression level of Smad4 but also decreased the expression quantities of pSmad1 and pSmad5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BSQJ can inhibit osteogenic differentiation of AS fifibroblasts in vitro by suppressing the activation of the BMP/Smads signal pathway. This may be the important molecular mechanism of BSQJ in regulating AS ossifification.
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China. liuhongxiao_123@163.com.
authors: Hong-Xiao
authors: HX
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Nan
authors: N
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Hui-Ying
authors: HY
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Ying-Yan
authors: YY
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Xing-Hua
authors: XH
authors: Feng
authors: Department of Vaccine Engineering, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China.
authors: Xiao-Yan
authors: XY
authors: Feng
authors: Department of Vaccine Engineering, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China.
authors: He-Qiu
authors: HQ
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Zhi-Kui
authors: ZK
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Quan
authors: Q
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Jiao
authors: J
authors: Fu
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Xiao-Juan
authors: XJ
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044967:Serum / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051785:Smad Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051785:Smad Proteins; C000614511:bushen qiangji
keywords: Bushen Qiangji Granule medicated serum; ankylosing spondylitis; fifibroblasts; ossifification