(-)-Epiafzelechin Protects against Ovariectomy-induced Bone Loss in Adult Mice and Modulate Osteoblastic and Osteoclastic Functions In Vitro

  • Nutrients. 2017 May 22;9(5):530. doi: 10.3390/nu9050530.
Ka-Chun Wong  1  2 ,  Sisi Cao  3  4 ,  Xiaoli Dong  5  6 ,  Man-Chun Law  7 ,  Tak-Hang Chan  8  9 ,  Man-Sau Wong  10  11  12
Affiliations
  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology (Incubation), Shenzhen 518057, China. [email protected].
  • 2. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. [email protected].
  • 3. State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology (Incubation), Shenzhen 518057, China. [email protected].
  • 4. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. [email protected].
  • 5. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. [email protected].
  • 6. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Biological Safety Control, Shenzhen 518057, China. [email protected].
  • 7. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. [email protected].
  • 8. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. [email protected].
  • 9. Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada. [email protected].
  • 10. State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology (Incubation), Shenzhen 518057, China. [email protected].
  • 11. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. [email protected].
  • 12. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Biological Safety Control, Shenzhen 518057, China. [email protected].
PMID: 28531166 DOI: 10.3390/nu9050530
Abstract

The present study was designed to characterize the bone protective effects of (-)-epiafzelechin (EAF), a flavan-3-ol, in mature ovariectomized mice model and its ability to stimulate osteoblastic activity and inhibit osteoclastic activity. Mature C57BL/6 mice (three to four months old) were either ovariectomised (OVX) or sham-operated and subjected to treatment (vehicle, 17β-oestradiol (E2, 200 μg/kg/day) or EAF (500 μg/kg/day) orally for six weeks. EAF and E2 significantly reduced urinary calcium (CA) excretion, serum osteocalcin (OCN), and urinary deoxy-pyridinoline (DPD); increased bone mineral density (BMD); and improved micro-architectural properties in OVX mice. EAF significantly increased cell viability, alkaline phosphatise (ALP) activity, and Collagen content, as well as runt-related transcriptional factor 2 (RUNX2) mRNA expression in murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. In addition, EAF significantly reduced the viability of osteoclast precursor murine leukemia monocyte RAW 264.7 cells and tartrate-resistant Acid Phosphatase (TRAP) activities in mature osteoclastic RAW 264.7 cells. EAF is a bioactive flavan-3-ol that protects estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss in OVX mice and exerts direct modulating effects in bone cells in vitro.

Keywords
(−)-epiafzelechin; flavan-3-ol; osteoclastogenesis; osteogenesis; ovariectomised; trabecular bone.
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