ABSTRACT
AIM@#To explore the therapeutic effects of Morinda officinalis capsules (MOP) on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.@*METHODS@#Six-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were induced for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) by bilateral ovariectomy and divided into seven groups as follows: sham-operated group, ovariectomized (OVX) control group, OVX treated with xianlinggubao (XLGB) (270 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), OVX treated with alendronate sodium (ALN) (3 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹), and OVX treated with Morinda officinalis capsule (MOP) of graded doses (90, 270 and 810 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹) groups. Oral treatments were administered daily on the 4(th) week after ovariectomy and lasted for 12 weeks. The bone mineral density was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and osteocalcin (OC) levels in the serum and plasma were determined by standard colorimetric and enzyme immunoassays methods. Bone biomechanical properties and morphological parameters were analyzed by three-point bending test and histomorphometry respectively.@*RESULTS@#Morinda officinalis capsules at all doses were able to significantly prevent the OVX-induced loss of bone mass due to diminishing serum AKP and TRAP levels while elevating OC level in the plasma. Morinda officinalis capsules also enhanced the bone strength and prevented the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture.@*CONCLUSION@#Morinda officinalis capsules possess potent anti-osteoporotic activity in OVX rats which could be an effective treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Humans , Rats , Acid Phosphatase , Blood , Alkaline Phosphatase , Blood , Bone Density , Bone Density Conservation Agents , Pharmacology , Therapeutic Uses , Capsules , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Pharmacology , Therapeutic Uses , Isoenzymes , Blood , Morinda , Osteocalcin , Blood , Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal , Blood , Metabolism , Ovariectomy , Phytotherapy , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Tartrate-Resistant Acid PhosphataseABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of tetramethylpyrazine on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-induced factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in macrophages.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Rat peritoneal macrophages were treated with LPS, and at the same time given different doses of tetramethylpyrazine. The secreation of VEGF was determined by ELISA test, and MTT assay was used to examine cells proliferation. Western blot assay was used to examine the expression of HIF-1alpha.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>100 microg x mL(-1) and 10 microg x mL(-1) tetramethylpyrazine decreased the secretion of VEGF and also inhibited the expression of HIF-1alpha by LPS-induced macrophages. But these doses of tetramethylpyrazine had no effect on the cells proliferation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tetramethylpyrazine could inhibit the secretion of VEGF by LPS-induced macrophages, and the mechanism must be associated with inhibiting the expression of HIF-1alpha. The inhibition effect was not due to inhibition of the proliferation of macrophages.</p>