Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Campus, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:125761. doi: 10.1155/2012/125761. Epub 2012 Jul 15.
Osteoporosis in elderly men is now becoming an alarming health issue due to its relation with a higher mortality rate compared to osteoporosis in women. Androgen deficiency (hypogonadism) is one of the major factors of male osteoporosis and it can be treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). However, one medicinal plant, Eurycoma longifolia Jack (EL), can be used as an alternative treatment to prevent and treat male osteoporosis without causing the side effects associated with TRT. EL exerts proandrogenic effects that enhance testosterone level, as well as stimulate osteoblast proliferation and osteoclast apoptosis. This will maintain bone remodelling activity and reduce bone loss. Phytochemical components of EL may also prevent osteoporosis via its antioxidative property. Hence, EL has the potential as a complementary treatment for male osteoporosis.
男性骨质疏松症现在成为一个令人警惕的健康问题，因为与女性骨质疏松症相比，它与更高的死亡率有关。雄激素缺乏（性腺功能减退症）是男性骨质疏松症的主要因素之一，可以用睾丸激素替代疗法（TRT）治疗。然而，一种药用植物，长叶胡桐（Eurycoma longifolia Jack，EL），可作为预防和治疗男性骨质疏松症的替代疗法，而不会引起与 TRT 相关的副作用。EL 具有促雄性激素作用，可提高睾酮水平，并刺激成骨细胞增殖和破骨细胞凋亡。这将维持骨重塑活性并减少骨质流失。EL 的植物化学成分也可能通过其抗氧化特性预防骨质疏松症。因此，EL 有作为男性骨质疏松症的补充治疗的潜力。
