Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec 23;23(1):136. doi: 10.3390/ijms23010136.
Microgravity is known to impact bone health, similar to mechanical unloading on Earth. In the absence of countermeasures, bone formation and mineral deposition are strongly inhibited in Space. There is an unmet need to identify nutritional countermeasures. Curcumin and carnosic acid are phytonutrients with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative effects and may exhibit osteogenic properties. Zinc is a trace element essential for bone formation. We hypothesized that these nutraceuticals could counteract the microgravity-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation and function. To test this hypothesis, we cultured 7F2 murine osteoblasts in simulated microgravity (SMG) in a Random Positioning Machine in the presence and absence of curcumin, carnosic acid, and zinc and evaluated cell proliferation, function, and differentiation. SMG enhanced cell proliferation in osteogenic medium. The nutraceuticals partially reversed the inhibitory effects of SMG on alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and did not alter the SMG-induced reduction in the expression of osteogenic marker genes in osteogenic medium, while they promoted osteoblast proliferation and ALP activity in the absence of traditional osteogenic media. We further observed a synergistic effect of the intermix of the phytonutrients on ALP activity. Intermixes of phytonutrients may serve as convenient and effective nutritional countermeasures against bone loss in space.
微重力已知会影响骨骼健康，类似于地球上的机械卸载。在没有对策的情况下，太空会强烈抑制骨骼形成和矿物质沉积。因此，需要寻找营养对策。姜黄素和迷迭香酸是具有抗癌、抗炎和抗氧化作用的植物营养素，可能具有成骨特性。锌是骨骼形成所必需的微量元素。我们假设这些营养保健品可以对抗微重力引起的成骨分化和功能抑制。为了验证这一假设，我们在模拟微重力（SMG）下培养 7F2 鼠成骨细胞，在随机定位机中，存在或不存在姜黄素、迷迭香酸和锌，并评估细胞增殖、功能和分化。SMG 增强了成骨培养基中的细胞增殖。营养保健品部分逆转了 SMG 对碱性磷酸酶（ALP）活性的抑制作用，并且在成骨培养基中没有改变 SMG 诱导的成骨标记基因表达的降低，同时在没有传统成骨培养基的情况下，促进了成骨细胞的增殖和 ALP 活性。我们还观察到植物营养素混合物对 ALP 活性有协同作用。植物营养素混合物可以作为对抗太空骨质流失的便捷有效的营养对策。
