Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
Chin J Integr Med. 2019 Apr;25(4):270-277. doi: 10.1007/s11655-016-2604-0. Epub 2016 Oct 24.
To investigate the impact of Qing'e Pill (, QEP) on the cancellous bone microstructure and its effect on the level of β-catenin in a mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Ninety-six 8-week-old specific pathogen free C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (24/group): sham, ovariectomised osteoporosis model, oestradiol-treated, and QEP-treated groups. Three months after surgery, the third lumbar vertebra and left femur of the animals were dissected and scanned using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to acquire three-dimensional (3D) parameters of their cancellous bone microstructure. The impact of ovariectomy, the effect of oestradiol and QEP intervention on cancellous bone microstructure, and the expression of β-catenin were evaluated.
The oestradioland the QEP-treated groups exhibited a significant increase in the bone volume fraction, trabecular number, trabecular thickneßs, bone surface to bone volume ratio (BS/BV), and β-catenin expression compared with those of the model group (P <0.05). In contrast, the structure model index, trabecular separation, and BS/BV were significantly decreased compared with those of the ovariectomised osteoporosis model group (P <0.05). No differences were observed in the above parameters between animals of the QEP- and oestradiol-treated groups.
The increased β-catenin expression may be the mechanism underlying QEP's improvement of the cancellous bone microstructure in ovariectomised mice. Our findings provide a scientific rationale for using QEP as a dietary supplement to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women.
探讨清艾片（QEP）对去卵巢骨质疏松症模型小鼠松质骨微观结构的影响及其对β-连环蛋白（β-catenin）水平的影响。
将 96 只 8 周龄无特定病原体 C57BL/6 小鼠随机分为 4 组（每组 24 只）：假手术组、去卵巢骨质疏松症模型组、雌二醇治疗组和 QEP 治疗组。手术后 3 个月，解剖并使用微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）扫描动物的第 3 腰椎和左侧股骨，获取其松质骨微观结构的三维（3D）参数。评估去卵巢对松质骨微观结构的影响、雌二醇和 QEP 干预的效果以及β-catenin 的表达。
与模型组相比，雌二醇组和 QEP 治疗组的骨体积分数、骨小梁数量、骨小梁厚度、骨表面积与体积比（BS/BV）和β-catenin 表达显著增加（P<0.05）。相反，结构模型指数、骨小梁分离度和 BS/BV 与去卵巢骨质疏松症模型组相比显著降低（P<0.05）。QEP 治疗组和雌二醇组的上述参数无差异。
β-catenin 表达的增加可能是 QEP 改善去卵巢小鼠松质骨微观结构的机制。我们的研究结果为将 QEP 作为膳食补充剂用于预防绝经后妇女骨质流失提供了科学依据。
