ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are a kind of pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow. Drug-containing serum treatment may be followed by a variation in the expression of genes involved in multiple signaling pathways. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of compound Jiegu Tablets and Zhuanggu Tablets on the differentiation of BMSCs in vitro. METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into Jiegu group, Zhuanggu group, combined group and blank control group. Different drug-containing sera were prepared and used to culture BMSCs isolated from the rat bone marrow. RT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the expression of BMP-2, Runx2, VEGF and Akt at mRNA and protein levels, respectively, at 24 hours after culture.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the blank control group, the expression levels of Akt and VEGF mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the Jiegu group and combined group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but showed no difference in the Zhuanggu group (P > 0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the expression levels of BMP-2 and Runx2 mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the Jiegu group (P < 0.05) and very significantly increased in the Zhuanggu group and combined group (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that compound Jiegu Tablets and Zhuanggu Tablets containing sera lead to synergistic effects on the BMSCs differentiation into vascular endothelial cells and osteoblasts in vitro.