Huo J, Sun X
Department of Pharmacy, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
Department of Pharmacy, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
Genet Mol Res. 2016 Dec 19;15(4):gmr-15-04-gmr.15049169. doi: 10.4238/gmr15049169.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis, a common type of osteoporosis in women, has become a serious public health issue. Astragalus polysaccharides (APS), possessing various pharmacological activities, are the active ingredients of Radix Astragali. It can be advantageous in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the present study, we evaluated the potential therapeutic effects of APS on postmenopausal osteoporosis by using a mice model induced by ovariectomy (OVX). Forty-eight female 6-week-old outbred ICR mice were randomly divided into six groups (N = 8): Sham group, OVX group, 17 β-estradiol (E2, 0.1 mg/kg)-treated OVX group, and APS (at three doses: 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg)-treated OVX groups. The effect of APS on the bone mineral density (BMD) was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The serum levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteocalcin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured using ELISA kits. The results revealed that APS exerted significant anti-osteoporotic activity by increasing the BMD considerably in a dose-dependent manner. APS treatment reduced the serum RANKL levels considerably and increased the serum OPG levels, thereby lowering the ratio of RANKL/OPG. Furthermore, APS also markedly reduced osteocalcin and TNF-α concentration in OVX-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis mice model. These results showed that APS exerts a protective effect on bone loss in OVX mice. The molecular mechanism underlying this effect be the reduction of bone resorption and inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Our findings suggest that APS may be a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
绝经后骨质疏松症是女性常见的骨质疏松类型，已成为一个严重的公共卫生问题。黄芪多糖（APS）具有多种药理活性，是黄芪的有效成分。它在绝经后骨质疏松症的治疗中可能具有优势。在本研究中，我们通过使用卵巢切除（OVX）诱导的小鼠模型评估了APS对绝经后骨质疏松症的潜在治疗效果。将48只6周龄的雌性远交群ICR小鼠随机分为六组（每组n = 8）：假手术组、OVX组、17β-雌二醇（E2，0.1mg/kg）治疗的OVX组以及APS（三种剂量：100、200和400mg/kg）治疗的OVX组。使用双能X线吸收法测定APS对骨密度（BMD）的影响。使用ELISA试剂盒测量血清中核因子κB受体活化因子配体（RANKL）、骨保护素（OPG）、骨钙素和肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）-α的水平。结果显示，APS通过以剂量依赖性方式显著增加BMD发挥了显著的抗骨质疏松活性。APS治疗显著降低了血清RANKL水平并增加了血清OPG水平，从而降低了RANKL/OPG的比值。此外，APS还显著降低了OVX诱导的绝经后骨质疏松症小鼠模型中的骨钙素和TNF-α浓度。这些结果表明，APS对OVX小鼠的骨质流失具有保护作用。这种作用的分子机制可能是减少骨吸收和抑制破骨细胞生成。我们的研究结果表明，APS可能是预防和治疗绝经后骨质疏松症的一种潜在策略。
