补肾补骨汤治疗绝经后骨质疏松症的疗效及分子机制

目的:明确补肾补骨汤(BuShenBuGuTang,BSBGT)治疗绝经后骨质疏松症的分子机制。方法:SD成年雌鼠分为阴性对照组、去势组、中药治疗组和雌激素治疗组4组,12周后检测4组骨密度、骨形态计量学参数及I型胶原的变化并比较各组间差异。体外实验采用大鼠骨髓基质细胞的原代培养体系,加用不同药物处理后,用半定量RT-PCR方法检测破骨细胞分化因子和护骨因子的变化情况。结果:补肾补骨汤对SD大鼠上述3项指标的维持具有明显的效果,而且在体外可明显地抑制破骨细胞分化因子的表达和促进护骨因子的表达。结论:补肾补骨汤对于绝经后骨质疏松症有明显的治疗作用,是通过调节破骨细胞分化因子和护骨因子的表达和分泌而发挥作用的。

Molecular mechanism of Chinese medicine formula (Bushen Bugu Tang) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis

AIM: To study the molecular mechanism of Chinese medicine formula Bushen Bugu Tang (BSBGT) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO). METHODS: Forty female SD rats were divided into four groups: the sham group, OVX group, estrogen treatment group and BSBGT treatment group, ten for each, difference operation and treatment were given. Subsequently, bone mineral density (BMD), bone histomorphometric changes and collagen type I expression in the femur of these rats were examined. In order to position the target of the formula acting on bone, the effect of BSBGT on regulation of mRNA levels of RANKL and OPG, two key factors for regulating osteoclastogenesis, by using rat calvarial-derived stromal cell cultrues, was elucidated. RESULTS: The BSBGT formula was found as effective as estrogen in preventing the reduction of BMD, the trabecular area and trabecular numbers in femora and also the decrease in collagen type I expression following ovariectomy. RT-PCR resulted showed that both estrogen and BSBGT significantly up-regulated OPG mRNA level and down-regulated RANKL mRNA level, resulting in an increased ratio of OPG/RANKL in cultured rat stromal cells. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of OPG/RANKL within the osseous environment determines whether bone formation predominates bone resorption. We therefore concluded that the BSBGT formula might be as effective as estrogen in prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis through the mechanism of up-regulating RANKL expression and down-regulating OPG expression in osteoblast/stromal cells. [