Department of Anatomy, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
Mol Med Rep. 2021 Aug;24(2). doi: 10.3892/mmr.2021.12248. Epub 2021 Jun 29.
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD), which results in an increased risk of fracture. (Siebold & Zucc.) Rohrbach (MFR), 'Wangbulryuhaeng' in Korean, is the dried aerial portion of Melandrii Herba Rohrbach, which is a member of the Caryophyllaceae family and has been used to treat several gynecological conditions as a traditional medicine. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of MFR on osteoclast differentiation and osteoporosis has not been assessed. To evaluate the effects of MFR on osteoclast differentiation, tartrate‑resistant acid phosphatase staining, actin ring formation and bone resorption assays were used. Additionally, receptor activator of nuclear factor‑κB ligand‑induced expression of nuclear factor of activated T cell, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) and c‑Fos were measured using western blotting and reverse transcription‑PCR. The expression levels of osteoclast‑related genes were also examined. To further investigate the anti‑osteoporotic effects of MFR in vivo, an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of menopausal osteoporosis was established. Subsequently, the femoral head was scanned using micro‑computed tomography. The results revealed that MFR suppressed osteoclast differentiation, formation and function. Specifically, MFR reduced the expression levels of osteoclast‑related genes by downregulating transcription factors, such as NFATc1 and c‑Fos. Consistent with the in vitro results, administration of MFR water extract to OVX rats reduced BMD loss, and reduced the expression levels of NFATc1 and cathepsin K in the femoral head. In conclusion, MFR may contribute to alleviate osteoporosis‑like symptoms. These results suggested that MFR may exhibit potential for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
骨质疏松症是一种全身性骨骼疾病，其特征是骨密度（BMD）降低，从而导致骨折风险增加。（Siebold & Zucc.）Rohrbach（MFR），在韩语中称为“Wangbulryuhaeng”，是石竹科植物Melandrii Herba Rohrbach 的干燥地上部分，已被用作传统药物治疗几种妇科疾病。然而，据我们所知，MFR 对破骨细胞分化和骨质疏松症的影响尚未得到评估。为了评估 MFR 对破骨细胞分化的影响，使用抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶染色、肌动蛋白环形成和骨吸收测定法。此外，使用 Western blot 和逆转录-PCR 测量核因子-κB 受体激活剂配体诱导的激活 T 细胞核因子 1（NFATc1）和 c-Fos 的表达。还检查了破骨细胞相关基因的表达水平。为了进一步研究 MFR 在体内的抗骨质疏松作用，建立了绝经后骨质疏松症的去卵巢（OVX）大鼠模型。随后，使用微计算机断层扫描扫描股骨头。结果表明，MFR 抑制破骨细胞分化、形成和功能。具体而言，MFR 通过下调转录因子（如 NFATc1 和 c-Fos）来降低破骨细胞相关基因的表达水平。与体外结果一致，给予 MFR 水提取物可减少 OVX 大鼠的 BMD 丢失，并降低股骨头中 NFATc1 和组织蛋白酶 K 的表达水平。总之，MFR 可能有助于缓解骨质疏松症样症状。这些结果表明，MFR 可能具有预防和治疗绝经后骨质疏松症的潜力。
