ABSTRACT
To investigate the effect and possible mechanism of echinacoside-containing serum on the osteogenic differentiation in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultivated by the whole bone marrow adherence method. The 3rd generation of cells were divided into 3 groups: the blank control group, the classic osteogenic-induced group and the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group. The expression of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were detected by ELISA. The ex- pression of ZHX, protein was detected by Western blot technique. RT-PCR technique was used to detect the expression of ZHX₃mRNA. According to the result, the expressions of the alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin in the classic osteogenic-induced group and the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group were significantly higher than that of the blank control group (P <0. 01). And expressions of the alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin in the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group were significantly higher than that in the classic osteogenic-induced group (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the classic osteogenic-induced group and the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group showed obviously higher ZHX₃ protain and mRNA expression than that of the black control group, with significant differences (P < 0.01); the 10% echinacoside-containing serum group showed obviously higher ZHX₃ protain and mRNA expression than that of the classic osteogenic-induced group, with a significant difference (P < 0.01). In conclusion, 10% echinacoside-containing serum can promote the differentiation of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells cultured in vitro. Its mechanism may be correlated with the increase in the ZHX₃expression.