title: Positive Effects of Qing'e Pill () on Trabecular Microarchitecture and its Mechanical Properties in Osteopenic Ovariectomised Mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of Qing'e Pill (, QEP) on the cancellous bone microstructure and its effect on the level of β-catenin in a mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six 8-week-old specific pathogen free C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (24/group): sham, ovariectomised osteoporosis model, oestradiol-treated, and QEP-treated groups. Three months after surgery, the third lumbar vertebra and left femur of the animals were dissected and scanned using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to acquire three-dimensional (3D) parameters of their cancellous bone microstructure. The impact of ovariectomy, the effect of oestradiol and QEP intervention on cancellous bone microstructure, and the expression of β-catenin were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The oestradioland the QEP-treated groups exhibited a significant increase in the bone volume fraction, trabecular number, trabecular thickneßs, bone surface to bone volume ratio (BS/BV), and β-catenin expression compared with those of the model group (P <0.05). In contrast, the structure model index, trabecular separation, and BS/BV were significantly decreased compared with those of the ovariectomised osteoporosis model group (P <0.05). No differences were observed in the above parameters between animals of the QEP- and oestradiol-treated groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased β-catenin expression may be the mechanism underlying QEP's improvement of the cancellous bone microstructure in ovariectomised mice. Our findings provide a scientific rationale for using QEP as a dietary supplement to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women.
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Shuai
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. bobo3137@126.com.
authors: Yan-Ping
authors: YP
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Shen
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Xiao-Juan
authors: XJ
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Chen
authors: C
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071556:Cancellous Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010052:Ovariectomy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C000615625:Qing'e pill; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: Chinese medicine; Qing’e Pill; micro-Computed tomography; oestradiol; osteoporosis; ovariectimised; β-catenin