Study the effects and mechanisms of Si-Wu-Tang on the bone healing process

• Main Authors: Chi-Ming Wu, 吳啟銘
• Other Authors: Yi-Chin Fong
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/65261656337969533309

博士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 中醫學系博士班 === 102 === Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula, is widely used for the treatment of women’s disease such as relief of menstrual discomfort, climacteric syndrome, dysmenorrheic and other estrogen related diseases. In recents studies have shown that SWT can treat primary dysmenorrhoea, have antipruritic anti-inflammatory effect and protect the radiation-induced bone marrow damage in animal model. It has been reported that anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agents have the potential to treat osteoporosis by increasing bone formation and/or suppressing bone resorption. However, the effect of SWT on bone cell function has not yet been reported. Here, we report that SWT increases ALP, BMP-2, and OPN expression and bone mineralization. In addition, we show that the PI3K, Akt and NF-kB signaling pathways may be involved in the SWT-mediated increase in gene expression and bone mineralization. Notably, treatment of mice with SWT extract prevented bone loss induced by ovariectomy in vivo. Our data therefore suggest that SWT may be used to stimulate bone formation for the treatment of osteoporosis.