Effects of Eucommia ulmoides extract on longitudinal bone growth rate in adolescent female rats

Pinoresinol diglucoside mitigates dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis and chondrodysplasia in zebrafish

BACKGROUND

The global increase in the aging population has led to a higher incidence of osteoporosis among the elderly.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the protective properties of pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG), an active constituent of Eucommia ulmoides, against dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis and chondrodysplasia.

METHODS

A zebrafish model of osteoporosis was established by exposing larval zebrafish to dexamethasone. The impact of PDG on bone mineralization was assessed through alizarin red and calcein staining. Alkaline phosphatase activity was quantified to evaluate osteoblast function. The influence of PDG on chondrogenesis was estimated using alcian blue staining. Fluorescence imaging and motor behavior analysis were employed to assess the protective effect of PDG on the structure and function of dexamethasone-induced skeletal teratogenesis. qPCR determined the expression of osteogenesis and Wnt signaling-related genes. Molecular docking was used to assess the potential interactions between PDG and Wnt receptors.

RESULTS

PDG significantly increased bone mineralization and corrected spinal curvature and cartilage malformations in the zebrafish model. Furthermore, PDG enhanced swimming abilities compared to the model group. PDG mitigated dexamethasone-induced skeletal abnormalities in zebrafish by upregulating Wnt signaling, showing potential interaction with Wnt receptors FZD2 and FZD5.

CONCLUSION

PDG mitigates dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis and chondrodysplasia by promoting bone formation and activating Wnt signaling.

The Effects of Natural Product-Derived Extracts for Longitudinal Bone Growth: An Overview of In Vivo Experiments

Approximately 80% of children with short stature are classified as having Idiopathic Short Stature (ISS). While growth hormone (GH) treatment received FDA approval in the United States in 2003, its long-term impact on final height remains debated. Other treatments, like aromatase inhibitors, metformin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), have been explored, but there is no established standard treatment for ISS. In South Korea and other Asian countries, East Asian Traditional Medicine (EATM) is sometimes employed by parents to potentially enhance their children's height growth, often involving herbal medicines. One such product, Astragalus membranaceus extract mixture HT042, claims to promote height growth in children and has gained approval from the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Research suggests that HT042 supplementation can increase height growth in children without skeletal maturation, possibly by elevating serum IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein-3 levels. Preclinical studies also indicate the potential benefits of natural products, including of EATM therapies for ISS. The purpose of this review is to offer an overview of bone growth factors related to ISS and to investigate the potential of natural products, including herbal preparations, as alternative treatments for managing ISS symptoms, based on their known efficacy in in vivo studies.

Chondroprotective Mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.-Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. Couplet Medicines in Knee Osteoarthritis via Experimental Study and Network Pharmacology Analysis

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the primary prevalent disabling joint disorder among osteoarthritis (OA), and there is no particularly effective treatment at the clinic. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs, such as Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (E.G.) couplet medicines, have been reported to exhibit beneficial health effects on KOA, exact mechanism of E.G. nevertheless is not fully elucidated.

Purpose

We assess the therapeutic effects of E.G. on KOA and explore its underlying molecular mechanism.

Methods

UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technique was used to analyze the active chemical constituents of E.G. The destabilization of the medial meniscus model (DMM) was employed to evaluate the chondroprotective action of E.G. in KOA mice using histomorphometry, μCT, behavioral testing and immunohistochemical staining. Additionally, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict potential targets for anti-KOA activities of E.G., which was further verified through in vitro experiments.

Results

In vivo studies have shown that E.G. could significantly ameliorate DMM-induced KOA phenotypes including subchondral bone sclerosis, cartilage degradation, gait abnormality and thermal pain reaction sensibility. E.G. treatment could also promote extracellular matrix synthesis to protect articular chondrocytes, which was indicated by Col2 and Aggrecan expressions, as well as reducing matrix degradation by inhibiting MMP13 expression. Interestingly, network pharmacologic analysis showed that PPARG might be a therapeutic center. Further study proved that E.G.-containing serum (EGS) could up-regulate PPARG mRNA level in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes. Notably, significant effects of EGS on the increment of anabolic gene expressions (Col2, Aggrecan) and the decrement of catabolic gene expressions (MMP13, Adamts5) in KOA chondrocytes were abolished due to the silence of PPARG.

Conclusion

E.G. played a chondroprotective role in anti-KOA by inhibiting extracellular matrix degradation, which might be related to PPARG.

Neuroendocrine-Immune Regulatory Network of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) is a popular medicinal herb and health supplement in China, Japan, and Korea, and has a variety of pharmaceutical properties. The neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) network is crucial in maintaining homeostasis and physical or psychological functions at a holistic level, consistent with the regulatory theory of natural medicine. This review aims to systematically summarize the chemical compositions, biological roles, and pharmacological properties of E. ulmoides to build a bridge between it and NEI-associated diseases and to provide a perspective for the development of its new clinical applications. After a review of the literature, we found that E. ulmoides has effects on NEI-related diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disease, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, insomnia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. However, clinical studies on E. ulmoides were scarce. In addition, E. ulmoides derivatives are diverse in China, and they are mainly used to enhance immunity, improve hepatic damage, strengthen bones, and lower blood pressure. Through network pharmacological analysis, we uncovered the possibility that E. ulmoides is involved in functional interactions with cancer development, insulin resistance, NAFLD, and various inflammatory pathways associated with NEI diseases. Overall, this review suggests that E. ulmoides has a wide range of applications for NEI-related diseases and provides a direction for its future research and development.

Effects of Astragalus Extract Mixture HT042 on Circulating IGF-1 Level and Growth Hormone Axis in Rats

Astragalus extract mixture HT042 is a standardized functional food granted by the Korean FDA for promoting “Children’s Height Growth”. In this study, we determined whether HT042 affects circulatory Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) after administration and investigated whether Growth hormone (GH), Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R), and Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) mRNAs are expressed in the pituitary, and whether Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and Somatostatin (SST) are expressed in the hypothalamus. We also evaluated the growth effect of HT042 on endochondral bone formation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats in the control and HT042 groups were orally administered a single dose of the control and HT042, respectively, and those in the recombinant human GH (rhGH) group were subcutaneously injected with rhGH. Tetracycline was injected intraperitoneally 72 h prior to sacrifice to decide endochondral bone formation. To determine the endocrine or paracrine/autocrine mechanism, we evaluated the expression of local BMP-2 and IGF-1, an immunohistochemical study after HT042 administration. It was confirmed that the growth-promoting effect of HT042 can be contributed to the increase in serum IGF-1, which can be stimulated by GH secretion. Administration of HT042 modulated the activity of GHRH-R and GHR-S in the pituitary gland and promoted GH secretion, thereby changing longitudinal growth through GH/IGF-1 mediation. Results for GHRH and SST expression demonstrated that the hypothalamus can be influenced and mediated by HT042 through a complex neuroendocrine regulatory system. In addition, it was confirmed by oral administration for 10 days that HT042 increased bone formation in cartilage, which is important for height growth. The effect of HT042 could be owing to upregulation of local Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and IGF-1 expression in the growth plate, which could be regarded as a GH-dependent autocrine/paracrine pathway, as well as circulatory IGF-1.

Traditional application and modern pharmacological research of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv

As a Traditional Chinese Medicine, Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. has been used for the treatment of various diseases since ancient times, involving lumbar pain, knee pain, osteoporosis, hepatoprotection, paralysis, intestinal haemorrhoids, vaginal bleeding, abortion, spermatorrhoea, foot fungus, anti-aging etc. With the developing discovery of E. ulmoides extracts and its active components in various pharmacological activities, E. ulmoides has gained more and more attention. Up to now, E. ulmoides has been revealed to show remarkable therapeutic effects on hypertension, hyperglycemia, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, sexual dysfunction. E. ulmoides has also been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, anti-cancer and immunoregulation activities etc. Along these lines, this review summarizes the traditional application and modern pharmacological research of E. ulmoides, providing novel insights of E. ulmoides in the treatment of various diseases.

The Aqueous Extract of Eucommia Leaves Promotes Proliferation, Differentiation, and Mineralization of Osteoblast-Like MC3T3-E1 Cells

Eucommia leaves are dry leaves of Eucommia ulmoides which have long been considered as a functional health food for the treatment of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, fatty liver, and osteoporosis. With the recent development of Chinese medicine, Eucommia leaves are widely used for tonifying the kidneys and strengthening bone. However, the specific molecular mechanism of Eucommia leaves for strengthening bone remains largely unknown. Osteoblasts are the main functional cells of bone formation; thus, it is essential to study the effect of Eucommia leaves on osteoblasts to better understand their mechanism of action. In the present study, we prepared an aqueous extract of Eucommia leaves (ELAE) and determined its content by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects of ELAE on MC3T3-E1 cells were investigated by CCK-8 assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and Alizarin red S staining assays, combined with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and qRT-PCR validation. We demonstrated that ELAE had a significant promoting effect on the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and significantly enhanced extracellular matrix synthesis and mineralization, which were achieved by regulating various functional genes and related signaling pathways. ELAE significantly increased the expression level of genes promoting cell proliferation, such as Rpl10a, Adnp, Pex1, Inpp4a, Frat2, and Pcdhga1, and reduced the expression level of genes inhibiting cell proliferation, such as Npm1, Eif3e, Cbx3, Psmc6, Fgf7, Fxr1, Ddx3x, Mbnl1, and Cdc27. In addition, ELAE increased the expression level of gene markers in osteoblasts, such as Col5a2, Ubap2l, Dkk3, Foxm1, Col16a1, Col12a1, Usp7, Col4a6, Runx2, Sox4, and Bmp4. Taken together, our results suggest that ELAE could promote osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization and prevent osteoblast apoptosis. These findings not only increase our understanding of ELAE on the regulation of bone development but also provide a possible strategy to further study the prevention and treatment of osteogenic related diseases by ELAE.

Longitudinal Bone Growth Stimulating Effect of Allium macrostemon in Adolescent Female Rats

Allium macrostemon (AM) may affect bone growth by regulating bone formation and resorption. To examine the effect of AM on bone growth, 48 rats were divided into four administration groups in which either distilled water, AM (100 and 300 mg/kg), or recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; 20 μg/kg) was administered for 10 days. On day 9, all animals were intraperitoneally injected with tetracycline hydrochloride (20 mg/kg), and 48 h after the injection, the rats were sacrificed. Their tibial sections were photographed to measure bone growth. Antigen-specific immunohistochemistry was performed to detect insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The food intake of the AM 100 mg/kg group was higher; however, the food intake of the AM 300 mg/kg group was less than that of the control group. The rhGH and AM 100 mg/kg groups showed greater rates of bone growth (359.0 ± 23.7 and 373.1 ± 28.0 μm/day, respectively) compared with the control group. IGF-1 and BMP-2 in the AM and rhGH groups were highly expressed. Indigestion at higher doses of AM led to nonsignificant bone growth in spite of increased IGF-1 and BMP-2 expression. Therefore, a suitable amount of AM could increase bone growth.

Treatment of tibial dyschondroplasia with traditional Chinese medicines: "Lesson and future directions"

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is a metabolic tibiotarsal bone disease in rapidly growing birds throughout the world, which is characterized by gait disorders, reduced growth, and in an unrecoverable lameness in many cases. The short production cycle in chickens, long metabolism cycle in most of the drugs with the severe drug residue, and high treatment cost severely restrict the enthusiasm for the treatment of TD. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for the prevention, treatment, and cure of avian bone diseases. Previously, a couple of traditional Chinese medicines has been reported being useful in treating TD. This review will discuss the TCM used in TD and the alternative TCM to treat TD. Selecting a TCM approach and its pharmacologic effects on TD chickens mainly focused on the differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of chondrocytes, angiogenesis, matrix metabolism, oxidative damage, cytokines, and calcification of cartilage in tibia.

Bushenhuoxue formula accelerates fracture healing via upregulation of TGF-β/Smad2 signaling in mesenchymal progenitor cells

BACKGROUND

Although Bushenhuoxue formula (BSHXF) is successfully used as a non-traumatic therapy in treating bone fracture in China, the molecular mechanism underlying its effects remains poorly understood.

PURPOSE

The present study aims to explore the therapeutic effects of BSHXF on fracture healing in mice and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

We performed unilateral open transverse tibial fracture procedure in C57BL/6 mice which were treated with or without BSHXF. Fracture callus tissues were collected and analyzed by X-ray, micro-CT, biomechanical testing, histopathology and quantitative gene expression analysis. Tibial fracture procedure was also performed in Cre-negative and Gli1-CreER; Tgfbr2flox/flox conditional knockout (KO) mice (Tgfbr2Gli1ER) to determine if BSHXF enhances fracture healing in a TGF-β-dependent manner. In addition, scratch-wound assay and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay were used to evaluate the effect of BSHXF on cell migration and cell proliferation in C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells, respectively.

RESULTS

BSHXF promoted endochondral ossification and enhanced bone strength in wild-type (WT) or Cre- control mice. In contrast, BSHXF failed to promote bone fracture healing in Tgfbr2Gli1ER conditional KO mice. In the mice receiving BSHXF treatment, TGF-β/Smad2 signaling was significantly activated. Moreover, BSHXF enhanced cell migration and cell proliferation in C3H10T1/2 cells, which was strongly attenuated by the small molecule inhibitor SB525334 against TGF-β type I receptor.

CONCLUSION

These data demonstrated that BSHXF promotes fracture healing by activating TGF-β/Smad2 signaling. BSHXF may be used as a type of alternative medicine for the treatment of bone fracture healing.

Baicalin augments the differentiation of osteoblasts via enhancement of microRNA-217

Baicalin (BAI), a sort of flavonoid monomer, acquires from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which was forcefully reported in diversified ailments due to the pleiotropic properties. But, the functions of BAI in osteoblast differentiation have not been addressed. The intentions of this study are to attest the influences of BAI in the differentiation of osteoblasts. MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts were exposed to BAI, and then cell viability, ALP activity, mineralization process, and Runx2 and Ocn expression were appraised through implementing CCK-8, p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP), Alizarin red staining, western blot, and RT-qPCR assays. The microRNA-217 (miR-217) expression was evaluated in MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts after BAI disposition; meanwhile, the functions of miR-217 in BAI-administrated MC3T3-E1 cells were estimated after miR-217 inhibitor transfection. The impacts of BAI and miR-217 inhibition on Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways were probed to verify the involvements in BAI-regulated the differentiation of osteoblasts. BAI accelerated cell viability, osteoblast activity, and Runx2 and Ocn expression in MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts, and the phenomena were mediated via activations of Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways. Elevation of miR-217 was observed in BAI-disposed MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts, and miR-217 repression annulled the functions of BAI in MC3T3-E1 cell viability and differentiation. Additionally, the activations of Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways evoked by BAI were both restrained by repression of miR-217. These explorations uncovered that BAI augmented the differentiation of osteoblasts via activations of Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways by ascending miR-217 expression.

Therapeutic Anabolic and Anticatabolic Benefits of Natural Chinese Medicines for the Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by increasing osseous fragility and fracture due to the reduced bone mass and microstructural degradation. Primary pharmacological strategies for the treatment of osteoporosis, hormone replacement treatment (HRT), and alendronate therapies may produce adverse side-effects and may not be recommended for long-term usage. Some classic and bone-specific natural Chinese medicine are very popularly used to treat osteoporosis and bone fracture effectively in clinical with their potential value in bone growth and development, but with few adverse side-effects. Current evidence suggests that the treatments appear to improve bone metabolism and attenuate the osteoporotic imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption at a cellular level by promoting osteoblast activity and inhibiting the effects of osteoclasts. The valuable therapies might, therefore, provide an effective and safer alternative to primary pharmacological strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to comprehensively review these classic and bone-specific drugs in natural Chinese medicines for the treatment of osteoporosis that had been deeply and definitely studied and reported with both bone formation and antiresorption effects, including Gynochthodes officinalis (F.C.How) Razafim. & B.Bremer (syn. Morinda officinalis F.C.How), Curculigo orchioides Gaertn., Psoralea corylifolia (L.) Medik Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., Dipsacus inermis Wall. (syn. Dipsacus asperoides C.Y.Cheng & T.M.Ai), Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm., Velvet Antler, Cistanche deserticola Ma, Cuscuta chinensis Lam., Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge., thus providing evidence for the potential use of alternative Chinese medicine therapies to effectively treat osteoporosis.

Effects of Eleutherococcus Extract Mixture on Endochondral Bone Formation in Rats

Eleutherococcus extract mixture (EEM) is an herbal mixture of dried stem of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus and germinated barley, which has been highly effective, in previous screening and among the traditional medicines to tonify innate qi and acquired qi, respectively. In this study, we investigate the effects of EEM on endochondral bone formation. Female adolescent rats were given EEM, growth hormone or vehicle for 10 days. Tetracycline was intraperitoneally injected to light the fluorescent band 72 h before sacrifice to determine endochondral bone formation. In order to evaluate endocrine or paracrine/autocrine mechanisms, expressions of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), or bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) were evaluated after EEM administration in liver or growth plate (GP). EEM oral administration significantly increased endochondral bone formation and proliferative and hypertrophic zonal heights of tibial GP. EEM also upregulated hepatic IGF1 and IGFBP3 mRNA expressions, and IGF1 and BMP2 expressions in GP. Taken together, EEM increases endochondral bone formation through stimulating proliferation and hypertrophy with upregulation of hepatic IGF1 and IGFBP3 expressions. Considering immunohistochemical studies, the effect of EEM may be due to increased local IGF1 and BMP2 expression in GP, which may be considered growth hormone (GH)-dependent endocrine and autocrine/paracrine pathways.

Natural Products as Potential Bone Therapies

Demands for natural products, in the form of botanicals, dietary supplements, and herbal medicine, for management of chronic diseases are increasing globally. Natural products might be an alternative for the management of bone health to meet the demands of a growing aging population. Different types of natural products, including Chinese herbal medicine decoctions, herbs, and isolated phytochemicals, have been demonstrated to exert bone protective effects. The most common types of bone protective bioactives are flavonoids, stilbene, triterpenoids, coumestans, lignans, and phenolic acid. The actions of natural products can be mediated by acting systemically on the hormonal axis or locally via their direct or indirect effects on osteogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, as well as adipogenesis. Furthermore, with the use of metabolomic and microbiome approaches to understand the actions of natural products, novel mechanisms that involve gut-brain-bone axis are also revealed. These studies provide evidence to support the use of natural products as bone therapeutics as well as identify new biological targets for novel drug development.

Isoquercitrin, a flavonoid glucoside, exerts a positive effect on osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo

Isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside) possess various pharmacological effect as a biologically active compound. The aim of the present study was to investigate its potential effects on the proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro and bone formation in the mid-palatal suture during rapid maxillary expansion (RME) in vivo. Cell proliferation of rat BMSCs was detected by cell-counting kit- 8 (CCK-8) assay. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay and alizarin red staining were used to evaluate osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Furthermore, the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes including runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), bone sialoprotein (BSP) and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) were measured by real-time RT-PCR. In vivo, thirty-six male 6-week-old Wistar rats with or without suture expansion receive systemic administration of isoquercitrin or saline solution. Micro-CT, HE and Masson staining were used to compare the morphological changes between the groups. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) expression in the suture was detected using immunohistochemical staining. Our results showed that isoquercitrin significantly promoted cell proliferation, ALP activity and mineral deposition in the range from 0.01 to 1 μM. Moreover, the expression levels of Runx2, BSP and ATF6 were also upregulated. The measurement of micro-CT imaging and histological examinations demonstrated that daily oral administration of isoquercitrin (10 mg/kg) increased bone formation compared to the other groups. Furthermore, the expression level of BMP2 was also augmented in the presence of isoquercitrin. Consequently, those findings showed that isoquercitrin exerts stimulatory effects on osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that isoquercitrin could be a potential candidate for preventing relapse following RME within palatal sutures.

Effects of Huang Bai (Phellodendri Cortex) on bone growth and pubertal development in adolescent female rats

Background

To evaluate the effects of Huang Bai (Phellodendron amurense) on growth and maturation in adolescent female rats.

Methods

Female Sprague-Dawley rats (28 days old; n = 72) were divided into six daily treatment groups: control (distilled water), Huang Bai (100 and 300 mg/kg), recombinant human GH (rhGH; 20 μg/kg), estradiol (1 μg/kg), and triptorelin (100 μg). Body weight, food intake, and vaginal opening were measured daily from postnatal day (PND) 28 to PND 43. Tetracycline (20 mg/kg) was injected on PND 41. After sacrifice on PND 43, the ovaries and uterus were weighed, and the tibias were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. Decalcified and dehydrated tibias were sectioned at a thickness of 40 μm, and sectioned tissues were examined with a fluorescence microscope. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 were detected using immunohistochemistry.

Results

Relative to controls, body weight was higher in the triptorelin group. Bone growth rate increased in the Huang Bai 100 mg/kg (354.00 ± 31.1 μm/day), rhGH (367.10 ± 27.11 μm/day), and triptorelin (374.50 ± 25.37 μm/day) groups. Expression of IGF-1 and BMP-2 in the hypertrophic zone was higher in all experimental groups. Vaginal opening occurred earlier in the estradiol group (PND 33.58 ± 1.62) than in controls and later in the triptorelin group (PND > 43). Ovarian and uterine weights were lower in the oestradiol and triptorelin groups. However, Huang Bai had nonsignificant effects on vaginal opening and the weights of ovaries and the uterus.

Conclusions

Huang Bai stimulated bone growth by upregulating IGF-1 and BMP-2 in the growth plate. However, it had no effect on pubertal development.

Effects of Phlomis umbrosa Root on Longitudinal Bone Growth Rate in Adolescent Female Rats

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Phlomis umbrosa root on bone growth and growth mediators in rats. Female adolescent rats were administered P. umbrosa extract, recombinant human growth hormone or vehicle for 10 days. Tetracycline was injected intraperitoneally to produce a glowing fluorescence band on the newly formed bone on day 8, and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine was injected to label proliferating chondrocytes on days 8-10. To assess possible endocrine or autocrine/paracrine mechanisms, we evaluated insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) or bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in response to P. umbrosa administration in either growth plate or serum. Oral administration of P. umbrosa significantly increased longitudinal bone growth rate, height of hypertrophic zone and chondrocyte proliferation of the proximal tibial growth plate. P. umbrosa also increased serum IGFBP-3 levels and upregulated the expressions of IGF-1 and BMP-2 in growth plate. In conclusion, P. umbrosa increases longitudinal bone growth rate by stimulating proliferation and hypertrophy of chondrocyte with the increment of circulating IGFBP-3. Regarding the immunohistochemical study, the effect of P. umbrosa may also be attributable to upregulation of local IGF-1 and BMP-2 expressions in the growth plate, which can be considered as a GH dependent autocrine/paracrine pathway.

Natural Products from Chinese Medicines with Potential Benefits to Bone Health

Osteoporosis is a progressive, systemic bone disorder characterized by loss of bone mass and microstructure, leading to reduced bone strength and increased risk of fracture. It is often associated with reduced quality of life and other medical complications. The disease is common in the aging population, particularly among postmenopausal women and patients who receive long-term steroidal therapy. Given the rapid growth of the aging population, increasing life expectancy, the prevalence of bone loss, and financial burden to the healthcare system and individuals, demand for new therapeutic agents and nutritional supplements for the management and promotion of bone health is pressing. With the advent of global interest in complementary and alternative medicine and natural products, Chinese medicine serves as a viable source to offer benefits for the improvement and maintenance of bone health. This review summarizes the scientific information obtained from recent literatures on the chemical ingredients of Chinese medicinal plants that have been reported to possess osteoprotective and related properties in cell-based and/or animal models. Some of these natural products (or their derivatives) may become promising leads for development into dietary supplements or therapeutic drugs.

Coniferyl aldehyde attenuates radiation enteropathy by inhibiting cell death and promoting endothelial cell function

Radiation enteropathy is a common complication in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether radiation-induced intestinal injury could be alleviated by coniferyl aldehyde (CA), an HSF1-inducing agent that increases cellular HSP70 expression. We systemically administered CA to mice with radiation enteropathy following abdominal irradiation (IR) to demonstrate the protective effects of CA against radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury. CA clearly alleviated acute radiation-induced intestinal damage, as reflected by the histopathological data and it also attenuated sub-acute enteritis. CA prevented intestinal crypt cell death and protected the microvasculature in the lamina propria during the acute and sub-acute phases of damage. CA induced HSF1 and HSP70 expression in both intestinal epithelial cells and endothelial cells in vitro. Additionally, CA protected against not only the apoptotic cell death of both endothelial and epithelial cells but also the loss of endothelial cell function following IR, indicating that CA has beneficial effects on the intestine. Our results provide novel insight into the effects of CA and suggest its role as a therapeutic candidate for radiation-induced enteropathy due to its ability to promote rapid re-proliferation of the intestinal epithelium by the synergic effects of the inhibition of cell death and the promotion of endothelial cell function.