Zhao Piwen, Niu Jianzhao, David Yue-Wei Lee, Wang Jifeng, Sun Yanling, Li Yadong
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2012 Jun;37(12):1693-9.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis is one of the commonest systemic bone metabolism diseases among menopausal women, mainly caused by lowering internal estrogen. Although Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is an effective method in clinical practice for years, it shows side-effect in increasing gynecological carcinoma. It has already been proved by clinical tests that multiple traditional Chinese medicine formulas and their monomer ingredients and phytoestrogen-like active constituents contained in traditional Chinese medicines are effective on treating osteoporosis with relatively less side-effects comparing with HRT. They show protective and therapeutic effects by acting on estrogen receptors of targeted tissues and targeted cells and then affecting expressions of bone metabolism-related regulatory proteins and factors in downstream signal conduct paths. Recent studies on estrogen related receptor (ERR) provide new possibilities and pathways for mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine and their active constituents in osteoporosis.
绝经后骨质疏松症是绝经后女性中最常见的全身性骨代谢疾病之一，主要由体内雌激素水平降低引起。尽管激素替代疗法（HRT）多年来在临床实践中是一种有效的方法，但它在增加妇科癌症方面显示出副作用。临床试验已经证明，多种中药配方及其单体成分以及中药中含有的植物雌激素样活性成分在治疗骨质疏松症方面有效，与HRT相比副作用相对较少。它们通过作用于靶组织和靶细胞的雌激素受体，进而影响下游信号传导通路中骨代谢相关调节蛋白和因子的表达，发挥保护和治疗作用。最近对雌激素相关受体（ERR）的研究为中药及其活性成分治疗骨质疏松症的机制提供了新的可能性和途径。
