Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2010, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (23): 4191-4194.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2010.23.003

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Simvastatin effects on correlation factor expression of Wnt signaling pathway in rat bone marrow stromal stem cells

Zheng Huan1, Zhang Liu1,2, Tian Fa-ming2, Zhang Hui2, Mu Shu-lin2   

  1. 1Department of Postgraduate, North China Coal Medical University, Tangshan  063000, Hebei Province, China;
    2Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of North China Coal Medical University, Tangshan  063000, Hebei Province, China
  • Online:2010-06-04 Published:2010-06-04
  • Contact: Zhang Liu, Doctor, Chief physician, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, Department of Postgraduate, North China Coal Medical University, Tangshan 063000, Hebei Province, China; Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of North China Coal Medical University, Tangshan 063000, Hebei Province, China zhliu130@sohu.com
  • About author:Zheng Huan, Lecturer, Department of Postgraduate, North China Coal Medical University, Tangshan 063000, Hebei Province, China zhenghuan@163. com
  • Supported by:

    the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, No. C200600058

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: As a lipid-lowering drug, simvastatin is getting more and more attention for its potential effects on bone formation in research of bone metabolism, but contradiction still exists when it is used for in vivo study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of simvastatin on bone mass, proliferation and differentiation of the cultured bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in rats, as well as mRNA expression levels of some related factors of Wnt signaling pathway.

METHODS: A total of 36 6-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups. In the control group, the rats were treated with distilled water daily by gavage. In the experimental group, the rats were administrated 20 mg/kg simvastatin per day. Six rats from either group were sacrificed after the final administration at 3, 6, 9 weeks separately. The left femora were removed for the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD). BMSCs derived from the right femora and tibiae were cultured in osteoblastic differentiation-induced medium. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity measurement and ALP staining were performed on day 16. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of LRP-5, Axin2 and β-catenin on day 21 following total RNA was extracted.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After being administrated with simvastatin for 3, 6 and 9 weeks, BMD of rats had no significant change. There were no significant differences in gene mRNA levels and osteogenic differentiation potential in BMSCs cultured in vitro compared with the control group. Administrated with simvastatin for either 3, 6 or 9 weeks had no significant effect on BMD and the differentiation of BMSCs in rats, and on the expression levels of LRP-5, Axin2 and β-catenin mRNA.

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