Effects of Er-Zhi-Wan on microarchitecture and regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in alveolar bone of ovariectomized rats

J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2014 Feb;34(1):114-119. doi: 10.1007/s11596-014-1241-0. Epub 2014 Feb 6.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that Er-Zhi-Wan (EZW), a traditional Chinese medicine consisting of Herba Ecliptae (HE) and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL), had a definite antiosteoporotic effect on osteoporotic femur, but its effect on osteoporosis of alveolar bone remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Er-Zhi-Wan (EZW) on the microarchitecture and the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the alveolar bone of ovariectomized rats. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham operation group (sham, n=10), ovariectomy (OVX) group (n=10), and OVX with EZW treatment group (EZW group, n=10). From one week after ovariectomy, EZW (100 mg/mL) or vehicle (distilled water) was fed (1 mL/100 g) once per day for 12 weeks until the sacrifice of the rats. The body weights were measured weekly. After sacrifice, the sera and mandible were collected and routinely prepared for the measurement of alveolar trabecular microarchitecture, serum levels of E2, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP5b), as well as mandibular mRNA expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway molecules wnt3a, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5), β-catenin and dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1). The results showed that EZW treatment significantly prevented the body weight gain, degradation of alveolar trabecular microarchitecture and alveolar bone loss in the OVX rats. Furthermore, we observed that EZW could increase the serum levels of E2 and BALP, and decrease levels of serum TRAP5b in EZW group compared with vehicle group. In addition, RT-PCR results revealed that EZW upregulated the expression levels of wnt3a, LRP5 and β-catenin, and reduced the expression of DKK1 in OVX rats. Taken together, our results suggested that EZW may have potential anti-osteoporotic effects on osteoporotic alveolar bone by stimulating Wnt/LRP5/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acid Phosphatase / blood
  • Alkaline Phosphatase / blood
  • Alveolar Process / drug effects*
  • Alveolar Process / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / pharmacology*
  • Estradiol / blood
  • Female
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Isoenzymes / blood
  • Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5 / genetics
  • Mandible / drug effects
  • Mandible / metabolism
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional / methods
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Ovariectomy*
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
  • Time Factors
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects
  • Uterus / drug effects
  • Uterus / growth & development
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / drug effects*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / genetics
  • Wnt3A Protein / genetics
  • beta Catenin / genetics

Substances

  • Dkk1 protein, rat
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Isoenzymes
  • Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5
  • Lrp5 protein, rat
  • Wnt3A Protein
  • beta Catenin
  • er-zhi-wan
  • Estradiol
  • Alkaline Phosphatase
  • Acid Phosphatase
  • Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase