ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Previous studies have demonstrated that total saponins of panax notoginseng can inhibit the ethanol-induced adipogenic differentiation of rabbit bone marrow stromal cells and confirmed that total saponins of panax notoginseng promoted the proliferation and differentiation of rabbit osteoblasts, and improved the osteoprotegerin mRNA relative expression in osteoblasts so as to inhibit receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand mRNA expression. OBJECTIVE:To observe effects of total saponins of panax notoginseng on the ultrastructure of the rabbit models of alcoholic avascular necrosis of the femoral head. METHODS:New Zealand rabbit models of alcohol-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head were established by gavage of spirit. Successful rabbit models were separately injected with saline, compound bone peptide and total saponins of panax notoginseng group, 0.1 mL/kg, once a day, for 4 consecutive weeks. The ultrastructure of each group were observed by transmission electron microscope. RESULTS AND CONCLUSON:Transmission electron microscopy showed that osteocytes after alcoholic avascular necrosis of the femoral head presented mitochondrial swel ing and fuzzy crista structure, and degranulation of polysomes on rough endoplasmic reticulum. Lipid droplets were seen in osteocytes. Compared with saline group, mitochondria swel ing subsided, cristae appeared, the number of polysomes increased on rough endoplasmic reticulum, but the number of lipid droplet decreased in total saponins of panax notoginseng group. Morphological changes in ultrastructure were similar between compound bone peptide group and total saponins of panax notoginseng group. Morphological changes in ultrastructure were more significant in the total saponins of panax notoginseng and compound bone peptide groups compared with saline group (P<0.05). Results verified that total saponins of panax notoginseng could effectively restore ultrastructure of osteocytes of rabbit models of alcoholic avascular necrosis of the femoral head in the early stage.