Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Bushen Huogu decoction can effectively prevent and treat osteoporosis, but the concrete mechanism of pharmacology is still not clear. 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 are important coupling factors, which can regulate bone resorption and formation.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the curative effects of Bushen Huogu decoction on the bone mineral density, bone biomechanics, and level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in blood serum, liver and kidney in the ovariectomized osteoporotic rats.
METHODS: Totally 108 healthy female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group, sham-operated group, and treatment group. All rats had been ovariectomized to induce estrogen absence and further establish osteoporotic models, except those in sham-operated group. Treatment group of rats were intragastrically administrated with 2 mL Bushen Huogu decoction, twice a day.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with model group, the bone mineral density in the rat femur was significantly increased in the treatment group (P < 0.05), the index of maximal stress and maximal loading of the femoral head were also increased (P < 0.05). The concentration of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in blood serum, liver and kidney were significant higher in the treatment group than those in the model group, and the levels were similar with those in sham-operated group (P > 0.05). In the early period of estrogenic hormone absence, the Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs could activate bone metabolism, raise bone mineral density and reinforce quality of bone through up-regulating expression of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.