2. Academic Validation
  3. Protective effects of berberine on senile osteoporosis in mice

Protective effects of berberine on senile osteoporosis in mice

  • J Bone Miner Metab. 2021 Sep;39(5):748-756. doi: 10.1007/s00774-021-01225-2.
Qing-Chang Chen 1,  Yuan-Lin Pu 2,  Jing Bi 2,  Yan Zhang 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
  • 2 Department of Pediatrics, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, 445000, People's Republic of China.
  • 3 Department of Pediatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China. [email protected].
PMID: 33829324 DOI: 10.1007/s00774-021-01225-2
Abstract

Introduction: The incidence of osteoporosis is positively correlated with age. Berberine has been reported to treat osteoporosis due to its beneficial actions on bone formation. However, the direct effects of berberine on senile osteoporosis remain unclear. The present study investigated the protective effects of berberine on senile osteoporosis in mice and preliminarily evaluated its potential mechanism.

Materials and methods: 20-month-old male C57BL/6 J mice were used as senile osteoporosis mouse model and treated with strontium ranelate (SR) or berberine or solvent control by daily gavage for 2 months. Thereafter, bone mass and microstructure parameters were assessed. Histological staining was performed to identify the osteogenic, adipogenic and osteoclastic activity of bone tissue. Moreover, role of cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway in berberine affecting bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation was clarified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot analysis.

Results: The results showed that the SR-treated group displayed a high trabecular bone mass phenotype. For mice administrated with berberine, cancellous bone mass was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner, as indicated by gradually increased bone mass, trabecular bone volume fraction and trabecular number. Furthermore, berberine promotes osteogenic and inhibits adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs via cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling. Also, bone resorption effect becomes more obvious with increasing dose of berberine in vitro.

Conclusion: The present results suggest that berberine exerts potent bone protective effects by promoting bone formation, inhibiting marrow fat accumulation and bone resorption. This effect may be achieved through cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway.

Keywords

Berberine; Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; CAMP; CREB; Osteoblasts; Osteoporosis; PKA.

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