• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• 제18권1호
• /
• pp.19-32
• /
• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Atherosclerosis is associated with increased inflammation in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Vitamin D has been reported to modulate the inflammatory responses of stromal vascular cells (SVCs) and adipocytes in adipose tissue, but the role of vitamin D in atherosclerosis biology is unclear. This study examined the effects of in vitro 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25[OH]₂D₃) treatment on the inflammatory responses of SVCs and adipocytes from atherosclerotic mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: C57BL/6J (B6) mice were divided randomly into 2 groups and fed a 10% kcal fat control diet (control group, CON) or 41% kcal fat, 0.21% cholesterol (high fat + cholesterol, HFC) diet (obese group, OB), and B6.129S7-Ldlr^tm1Her/J (Ldlr^-/-) mice were fed a HFC diet (obese with atherosclerosis group, OBA) for 16 weeks. SVCs and adipocytes isolated from VAT were pre-incubated with 1,25(OH)₂D₃ for 24 h and stimulated with lipopolysaccarides for the next 24 h. Proinflammatory cytokine production by adipocytes and SVCs, the immune cell population in SVCs, and the expression of the genes involved in the inflammatory signaling pathway in SVCs were determined. RESULTS: The numbers of total macrophages and SVCs per mouse were higher in OB and OBA groups than the CON group. The in vitro 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment significantly reduced macrophages/SVCs (%) in the OBA group. Consistent with this change, the production of interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) by SVCs from the OBA group was decreased by 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment. The 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment significantly reduced the toll-like receptor 4 and dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (also known as mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1) mRNA levels in SVCs and MCP-1 production by adipocytes from all 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that vitamin D can attribute to the inhibition of the inflammatory response in VAT from atherosclerotic mice by reducing proinflammatory cytokine production.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• 제39권1호
• /
• pp.46-53
• /
• 2015

Background: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used in many chemotherapeutic protocols and play an important role in the normal regulation of bone remodeling. However, the prolonged use of GCs results in osteoporosis, which is partially due to apoptosis of osteoblasts and osteocytes. In this study, effects of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on GC-treated murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and a GC-induced osteoporosis mouse model were investigated. Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to dexamethasone (Dex) with or without KRG and cell viability was measured by the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Realtime polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the apoptotic gene expression; osteogenic gene expression and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were also measured. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins. A GC-induced osteoporosis animal model was used for in vivo study. Results and conclusion: The MTT assay revealed that Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) prevents loss of cell viability caused by Dex-induced apoptosis in MC3T3E1 cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction data showed that groups treated with both Dex and KRG exhibited lower mRNA levels of caspase-3 and -9, whereas the mRNA levels of Bcl2, IAPs, and XIAP increased. Moreover, groups treated with both Dex and KRG demonstrated increased mRNA levels of ALP, RUNX2, and bone morphogenic proteins as well as increased ALP activity in MC3T3-E1 cells, compared to cells treated with Dex only. In addition, KRG increased protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation and decreased c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation. Moreover, microcomputed tomography analysis of the femurs showed that GC implantation caused trabecular bone loss. However, a significant reduction of bone loss was observed in the KRG-treated group. These results suggest that the molecular mechanism of KRG in the GC-induced apoptosis may lead to the development of therapeutic strategies to prevent and/or delay osteoporosis.

• 한국약용작물학회지
• /
• 제19권6호
• /
• pp.491-500
• /
• 2011

Ursolic acid, triterpenoid compound has been shown to stimulate osteoblast differentiation and enhance bone formation. In the present study, we examined the effects of similar triterpenoid compounds, oleanolic acid (OA) and its derivatives, such as oleanolic acid acetate (OAA) and oleanolic acetate methyl ester (OAM) on the bone formation in MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells. We determined cellular proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mineralization, and expression of osteoblast specific genes and mitogen activated protein kinase phosphorylation. Treatment of $0.1-10{\mu}m$ OA, OAA, and OAM increased cellular proliferation, but not significantly increased as compared with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). OA, OAA, and OAM at 5uM concentration enhanced ALP expression, mineralization, and osteocalcin (OCN) mRNA level. In conclusion, OA and its derivatives stimulated the osteoblast differentiation by increasing ALP, mineralization, and OCN mRNA expression. However, there were no significantly difference on osteoblast differentiation among treatment of OA, OAA, and OAM.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• 제37권2호
• /
• pp.63-75
• /
• 2020

Objectives : Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease and osteoporosis fracture is the leading cause of decreased life. Bisphosphonate and selective estrogen receptor modulators are the best choice of treatment for osteoporosis. However, when used for a long time, they increase the probability of side effect such as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Thus, it is crucial to develop alternative medicine to treat osteoporosis. Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, a herbal medicine, is mainly to treat rheumatoid arthritis. However, the effect of the water extract of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (w-GM) on osteoporosis has not been investigated. Thus, we examine whether w-GM can inhibit osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption on receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. In this study, RAW 264.7 cells were used as an osteoclast differentiation model by treating them with RANKL. Methods : RAW 264.7 cells were used to determine the effect of w-GM on osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. The number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells, TRAP activity and pit formation assay were examined. In addition, protein expressions were measured by western blot and mRNA expressions were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results : Treatment with w-GM inhibited the number of TRAP-positive cells, TRAP activity and pit area. In addition, w-GM decreased protein expression such as mitogen-activated protein kinase, NF-κB, c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1). It also inhibited the mRNA levels such as c-Fos, NFATc1, TRAP, NF-κB, calcitonin receptor and cathepsin K in RANKL-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that w-GM has inhibitory effects via osteoclast differentiation, thus it could be a new medication for osteoporosis.

• 생명과학회지
• /
• 제30권11호
• /
• pp.983-989
• /
• 2020

파골세포에 의한 뼈의 재흡수와 조골세포에 의한 뼈 형성의 균형은 뼈 건강에 매우 중요한 요소이다. 따라서 이들의 불균형은 골다공증, 골연화증 및 골석화증과 같은 다양한 골 질환을 유발할 수 있다. 특히 파골세포의 기능이 비정상적으로 항진된 경우 골 파괴가 증가되어 골다공증이 야기되며 이런 현상은 류마티스 관절염 같은 염증성 질환의 골 소실과 밀접한 연관이 있다. 그러나 현재 사용중인 골 흡수 억제제는 장기간 사용시 부작용이 보고되고 있어 천연물 소재를 기반으로한 새로운 골 흡수 억제제 개발이 요구되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 갈색거저리 유충 에탄올 추출물이 RANKL에 의해 유도되는 파골세포 분화에 미치는 영향을 확인하고 그 작용기작을 구명하고자 하였다. 갈색거저리 유충 에탄올 추출물이 파골세포 분화에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여 RAW264.7 세포에 RANKL을 단독 처리 및 추출물과 함께 5일간 처리한 후 TRAP 활성을 비교하였다. 그 결과 RANKL에 의해 증가한 파골세포 분화는 갈색거저리 유충 추출물 2 mg/ml 농도까지 세포독성 없이 농도 의존적으로 감소하는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 갈색거저리 추출물이 TRAP, NFATc1 및 CtsK와 같은 파골세포 분화마커 유전자 및 단백질 발현량에 미치는 변화를 확인한 결과, RANKL 처리에 의해 현저히 증가한 이들 유전자가 갈색거저리 추출물에 의해 현저하게 감소하는 것을 확인하였다. 또한 갈색거저리 추출물의 파골세포 분화 억제작용기작을 확인한 결과 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs)중 p38의 신호 전달 억제 기작을 통하여 파골세포 분화가 억제됨을 확인 할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과로 보아 갈색거저리 유충 에탄올 추출물 및 그 생리활성 물질들은 골다공증과 같은 골 질환 치료 및 예방을 위한 잠재적 기능성 소재로 사용될 수 있음을 확인하였다.