Evaluation of selected traditional Chinese medical extracts for bone mineral density maintenance: A mechanistic study

摘要

ObjectiveTo investigate the development of a minimal traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula using selected TCM ingredients and evaluating their biological activity with bone-specificin?vitrotests. Finally, determining if the minimal formula can maintain bone mineral density (BMD) in a low bone mass (LBM)/osteoporosis (OP) model system.Methods and resultsSixteen different TCM plant extracts were tested for estrogenic, osteogenic and osteoclastic activities. Despite robust activation of the full-length estrogen receptors α and β byPsoralea corylifoliaandEpimedium brevicornu, these extracts do not activate the isolated estrogen ligand binding domains (LBD) of either ERα or ERβ; estrogen (17-β estradiol) fully activates the LBD of ERα and ERβ.E.?brevicornuandDrynaria fortuneiextracts activated cyclic AMP response elements (CRE) individually and when combined these ingredients stimulated the production of osteoblastic markers Runx2 and Bmp4 in MC3T3-E1 cells.E.?brevicornu,Salvia miltiorrhiza, andAstragalus onobrychisextracts inhibited the Il-1β mediated activation of NF-κβ and anE.?brevicornu/D.?fortuneicombination inhibited the development of osteoclasts from precursor cells. Further, a minimal formula containing theE.?brevicornu/D.?fortuneicombination with or without a third ingredient (S.?miltiorrhiza, Angelica sinensis,orLycium barbarum) maintained bone mineral density (BMD) similar to an estradiol-treated control group in the ovariectomized rat; a model LBM/OP system.ConclusionA minimal formula consisting of TCM plant extracts that activate CRE and inhibit of NF-κβ activation, but do not behave like estrogen, maintain BMD in a LBM/OP model system.