A Traditional Chinese Medicine Plant Extract Prevents Alcohol-Induced Osteopenia

Dongyang Qian; Dongyang Qian; Hui Zhou; Pan Fan; Pan Fan; Tao Yu; Tao Yu; Anish Patel; Morgan O’Brien; Zhe Wang; Shiguang Lu; Guoqiang Tong; Yimin Shan; Lei Wang; Yuan Gao; Yuan Gao; Yuan Xiong; Yuan Xiong; Lily Zhang; Xin Wang; Yuancai Liu; Shuanhu Zhou; Shuanhu Zhou

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.754088

Frontiers in Pharmacology (Dec 2021)

A Traditional Chinese Medicine Plant Extract Prevents Alcohol-Induced Osteopenia

Dongyang Qian,
Dongyang Qian,
Hui Zhou,
Pan Fan,
Pan Fan,
Tao Yu,
Tao Yu,
Anish Patel,
Morgan O’Brien,
Zhe Wang,
Shiguang Lu,
Guoqiang Tong,
Yimin Shan,
Lei Wang,
Yuan Gao,
Yuan Gao,
Yuan Xiong,
Yuan Xiong,
Lily Zhang,
Xin Wang,
Yuancai Liu,
Shuanhu Zhou,
Shuanhu Zhou

Affiliations

Dongyang Qian: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Dongyang Qian: Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Hui Zhou: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Pan Fan: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Pan Fan: Department of Spine Center, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University Medical School, Nanjing, China
Tao Yu: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Tao Yu: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Anish Patel: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Morgan O’Brien: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Zhe Wang: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Shiguang Lu: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Guoqiang Tong: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Yimin Shan: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Lei Wang: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Yuan Gao: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Yuan Gao: Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Yuan Xiong: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Yuan Xiong: Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Lily Zhang: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Xin Wang: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
Yuancai Liu: Jing Brand Research Institute, Jing Brand Co., Ltd., Daye, China
Shuanhu Zhou: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
Shuanhu Zhou: Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.754088
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12

Abstract

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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practiced in the treatment of bone diseases and alcoholism. Chronic excessive alcohol use results in alcohol-induced bone diseases, including osteopenia and osteoporosis, which increases fracture risk, deficient bone repair, and osteonecrosis. This preclinical study investigated the therapeutic effects of TCM herbal extracts in animal models of chronic excessive alcohol consumption-induced osteopenia. TCM herbal extracts (Jing extracts) were prepared from nine Chinese herbal medicines, a combinative herbal formula for antifatigue and immune regulation, including Astragalus, Cistanche deserticola, Dioscorea polystachya, Lycium barbarum, Epimedium, Cinnamomum cassia, Syzygium aromaticum, Angelica sinensis, and Curculigo orchioides. In this study, Balb/c male mice were orally administrated alcohol (3.2 g/kg/day) with/without TCM herbal extracts (0.125 g/kg, 0.25 g/kg, or 0.5 g/kg) by gavage. Our results showed that after 50 days of oral administration, TCM herbal extracts prevented alcohol-induced osteopenia demonstrated by μ-CT bone morphological analysis in young adults and middle-aged/old Balb/c male mice. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that chronic alcohol consumption inhibits bone formation and has a neutral impact on bone resorption, suggesting that TCM herbal extracts (Jing extracts) mitigate the alcohol-induced abnormal bone metabolism in middle-aged/old male mice. Protocatechuic acid, a natural phenolic acid in Jing extracts, mitigates in vivo alcohol-induced decline of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) gene expression in the bone marrow of Balb/c male mice and in vitro ALP activity in pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. Our study suggests that TCM herbal extracts prevent chronic excessive alcohol consumption-induced osteopenia in male mice, implying that traditional medicinal plants have the therapeutic potential of preventing alcohol-induced bone diseases.

Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology

ISSN: 1663-9812 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Website: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology

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