Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (23): 6142-6149.doi: 10.12307/2026.353

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Intervention with Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules in a mouse model of osteoporosis: role of the TRIB3/beta-catenin axis

Wang Yan1, Lyu Hao1, Hu Zhimu1, Zhou Yao1, Liu Qiang1, Yang Yuxiang1, Yi Hairu1, Wang Jiuxiang2, Jiang Ting2   

  1. 1The First Clinical Medical College of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China; 2The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
  • Received:2025-05-06 Accepted:2025-08-22 Online:2026-08-18 Published:2026-01-06
  • Contact: Wang Jiuxiang, MD, Associate researcher, Master’s supervisor, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
  • About author:Wang Yan, MS candidate, the First Clinical Medical College of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China Lyu Hao, MD candidate, the First Clinical Medical College of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China Wang Yan and Lyu Hao contributed equally to this work. Corresponding author: Jiang Ting, MD, Chief physician, Doctoral supervisor, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
  • Supported by:
    the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (General Program), No. 2308085MH294 (to JT); Anhui Provincial Key Research and Development Project, No. 202104j07020010 (to JT); the Scientific Research Foundation of the Education Department of Anhui Province, No. 2022AH050510 (to JT); the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (General Program), No. 2408085MH226 (to WJX)

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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that knockdown of β-catenin can inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and reduce the expression of TRIB3. Serum containing Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules can promote the expression of β-catenin and TRIB3 in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and induce human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into osteogenic cells.
OBJECTIVE: To further explore the mechanism of Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules in a mouse model of osteoporosis based on the TRIB3/β-catenin axis. 
METHODS: 8-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the following experimental groups: blank control group, sham surgery group, model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose groups of Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules, and a positive drug group. Except for the blank control and sham surgery groups, the bilateral ovaries of mice were removed to construct osteoporosis models. One week after model preparation, mice were given 7.05, 14.1 and 28.2 g/kg Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules in the low-, medium- and high-dose Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granule groups, respectively. Mice in the positive drug group were given 1.53 mg/kg alendronate sodium by intragastric administration, and those in the blank control group and sham surgery group were given an equal volume of normal saline, once a day. After 12 weeks of intragastric administration, the bone microstructures of mice in different groups were observed by Micro-CT. The pathological changes in the femur were detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining; and expressions of TRIB3, β-catenin and osteogenic proteins (alkaline phosphatase and osteopontin) in the femur were detected by western blot assay.  
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the blank control group and sham surgery group, the bone trabecular arrangement in the model group was sparse, and the number of empty bone lacunae was significantly increased. The expression levels of TRIB3, β-catenin, alkaline phosphatase and osteopontin were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, bone trabeculae in the medium- and high-dose groups of Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules showed more intact morphology and regular arrangement. The protein expression levels of TRIB3, β-catenin, alkaline phosphatase and osteopontin were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). Therefore, these findings indicate that Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granules have a therapeutic effect on osteoporosis model mice, and its mechanism may be generated through the TRIB3/β-catenin axis. 


Key words: osteoporosis, Compound Kidney-Invigorating Granule, TRIB3, β-catenin, Chinese herbal compound, mouse model, alkaline phosphatase, bone tissue

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