Effects ofMelandrium firmumRohrbach on RANKL‑induced osteoclast differentiation and OVX rats

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD), which results in an increased risk of fracture. Melandrium firmum (Siebold & Zucc.) Rohrbach (MFR), 'Wangbulryuhaeng' in Korean, is the dried aerial portion of Melandrii Herba Rohrbach, which is a member of the Caryophyllaceae family and has been used to treat several gynecological conditions as a traditional medicine. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of MFR on osteoclast differentiation and osteoporosis has not been assessed. To evaluate the effects of MFR on osteoclast differentiation, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, actin ring formation and bone resorption assays were used. Additionally, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced expression of nuclear factor of activated T cell, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) and c-Fos were measured using western blotting and reverse transcription-PCR. The expression levels of osteoclast-related genes were also examined. To further investigate the anti-osteoporotic effects of MFR in vivo, an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of menopausal osteoporosis was established. Subsequently, the femoral head was scanned using micro-computed tomography. The results revealed that MFR suppressed osteoclast differentiation, formation and function. Specifically, MFR reduced the expression levels of osteoclast-related genes by downregulating transcription factors, such as NFATc1 and c-Fos. Consistent with the in vitro results, administration of MFR water extract to OVX rats reduced BMD loss, and reduced the expression levels of NFATc1 and cathepsin K in the femoral head. In conclusion, MFR may contribute to alleviate osteoporosis-like symptoms. These results suggested that MFR may exhibit potential for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Proteomic analysis of exosomal proteins associated with bone healing speed in a rat tibial fracture model

“…For example, ribosomal protein s5 was reported to serve as a potential target for inhibiting osteoclastogenesis (Chen et al, 2017), and ribosomal protein L29/HIP deficiency increased the fragility of adult bone in mice (Oristian et al, 2009). Actin is a type of cytoskeletal protein that plays important roles in muscle contraction, cell motility and maintenance of cellular shape (Kim et al, 2021). Some studies have also found that the expression of actin increases in the later stages of bone fracture healing, suggesting that it may be involved in the activities of osteoblasts and the remodeling of bone tissue (Li, Wang, et al, 2020; Matthews et al, 2014).…”

Gleditsiae fructus regulates osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting the c‑Fos/NFATc1 pathway and alleviating bone loss in an ovariectomy model

“…TRAP is utilized as a serum marker to confirm the anti-osteoporotic effects in both animal experiments and an in vitro study ( 61 ). ALP is a marker expressed in the early stages of osteoblast differentiation ( 62 ).…”

Effects of Sparganii Rhizoma on Osteoclast Formation and Osteoblast Differentiation and on an OVX-Induced Bone Loss Model

“…ALP is a marker of osteoblast activity and bone formation and is involved in osteoblast metabolism. Therefore, when bone metabolism is rapid, such as in conditions with metabolic bone disease, the activity of osteoblasts increases with excessive osteoclast activity, and the concentration of ALP in the serum increases ( Kuo and Chen, 2017 ; Kim M. et al, 2021 ). The ALP level in the OVX group increased compared to that in the sham group and decreased significantly in the SR-L group.…”

“…Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining is a staining method used to detect the presence of specific protein markers ( Duraiyan et al, 2012 ; Kim et al, 2020 ; Kim M. et al, 2021 ). In our study, the number of CTK-, NFATc1- and BMP-2-positive cells was evaluated by IHC staining.…”