Bone protection effects of a novel Chinese herbal formula, taikong yangxin prescription, in hindlimb unloaded rats against bone deterioration.

Chun-hay KO; Wing-sum SIU; Chung-lap CHAN; Chi-man KOON; Kwok-pui FUNG; Yong-zhi LI; Ying-hui LI; Ping-chung LEUNG

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Bone protection effects of a novel Chinese herbal formula, taikong yangxin prescription, in hindlimb unloaded rats against bone deterioration.

Author: Chun-hay KO ¹ ; Wing-sum SIU ¹ ; Chung-lap CHAN ¹ ; Chi-man KOON ¹ ; Kwok-pui FUNG ¹ ; Yong-zhi LI ² ; Ying-hui LI ² ; Ping-chung LEUNG ³
Author Information

1. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
2. State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China.
3. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. pingcleung@cuhk.edu.hk.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; micro-computerized tomography; osteoporosis peripheral quantitative computed tomography; tail-suspension rat model
MeSH: Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; drug effects; Bone Density; drug effects; Bone and Bones; diagnostic imaging; drug effects; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; administration & dosage; pharmacology; Femur; Male; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tibia; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed; Weightlessness; X-Ray Microtomography
From: Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2015;21(10):759-764
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of a Chinese herbal formula, taikong yangxin prescription (TKYXP) against bone deterioration in a hindlimb unloaded (tail-suspension) rat model.
METHODSThirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: tail-suspension group fed with 2.5 g•kg(-1)•day(-1) of TKYXP extract (high dose), tail-suspension group fed with 1.25 g•kg(-1)•day(-1) (low dose), tail-suspended group treated with water placebo (placebo control group) and non tail-suspended group. The effects of TKYXP on bone were assessed using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), microcomputerized tomography (micro-CT) and three-point bending biomechanical test on the femur in vivo.
RESULTSTKYXP had a significant protective effect against bone loss induced by tail-suspension on day 28, as shown in the reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) loss, preservation of bone micro-architecture and biomechanical strength. The administration ofhigh dose TKYXP could significantly reduce the total BMD loss by 4.8% and 8.0% at the femur and tibia regions, respectively, compared with the placebo control group (P<0.01) on day 28. Its bone protective effect on the femur was further substantiated by the increases of the trabecular BMD (by 6.6%), bone volume fraction (by 20.9%), trabecular number (by 9.5%) and thickness (by 11.9%) as compared with the placebo control group.
CONCLUSIONTKYXP may protect the bone under weightless influence from gradual structural deterioration in the tail-suspension model.