Guling tablets promotes the proliferation and mineralization and regulates OPG/RANKL/M-CSF expression of osteoblasts via the p38 MAPK pathway in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Gulingpian (GLP, or Guling tablets) on the proliferation and mineralization of MG-63 cells and the involvement of p38 MAPK pathway in such processes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MG-63 cells were cultured in the presence of p38 inhibitor SB203580 and or serum from rats fed with normal saline or GLP. The expression of the OPG, RANKL and M-CSF mRNA, cell proliferation and formation of mineralized bone nodule, the total protein of p38 and phosphorylated p38, were observed or quantitatively measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Treatment with GLP serum increased the level of p38 phosphorylation but did not affect the total p38 expression. GLP serum significantly promoted MG-63 cell proliferation and differentiation, resulting also in up-regulated OPG and down-regulated RANKL mRNA expressions without obvious alteration in M-CSF expression. These effects were blocked by the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GLP promotes the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and regulates OPG/RANKL expressions in vitro, which are mediated probably via the p38 MAPK pathway.</p>