[Effect of Erythrina variegata on Ca2+ homeostasis in ovariectomized rats and action mechanism].

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of Erythrina variegata (EV) on Ca2+ homeostasis in ovariectomized rats and the regulation on gene expression in duodenum and kidney.

METHOD

Four weeks after surgical operation, the ovariectomized (OVX) rats were administered orally with estradiol and EV extracts for 14 weeks. Ca level in serum and urine was measured by colorimetric methods, and gene expressions in duodenum and kidney were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULT

EV extracts could improve the serum Ca level and inhibite the urinary Ca excretion in OVX rats, and this might be due to the upregulation of EV on VDR mRNA expression in duodenum and CaBP-9k mRNA expression in kidney.

CONCLUSION

EV could maintain Ca homeostasis in OVX rats.