Deer antler extract potentially facilitates xiphoid cartilage growth and regeneration and prevents inflammatory susceptibility by regulating multiple functional genes

Mengqi Guan,Daian Pan,Baojin Yao,Mei Zhang,Xiangyang Leng

doi:10.1186/s13018-021-02350-4

Mengqi Guan, Daian Pan + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-021-02350-4

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Abstract

BackgroundDeer antler is a zoological exception due to its fantastic characteristics, including amazing growth rate and repeatable regeneration. Deer antler has been used as a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine relating to kidney and bone health for centuries. The aim of this study was to dissect the molecular regulation of deer antler extract (DAE) on xiphoid cartilage (XC).MethodsThe DAE used in this experiment was same as the one that was prepared as previously described. The specific pathogen-free (SPF) grade Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into blank group (n =10) and DAE group (n =10) after 1-week adaptive feeding. The DAE used in this experiment was same as the one that was prepared as previously described. The rats in DAE group were fed with DAE for 3 weeks at a dose of 0.2 g/kg per day according to the body surface area normalization method, and the rats in blank group were fed with drinking water. Total RNA was extracted from XC located in the most distal edge of the sternum. Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in combination with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation assay was carried out to dissect the molecular regulation of DAE on XC.ResultsWe demonstrated that DAE significantly increased the expression levels of DEGs involved in cartilage growth and regeneration, but decreased the expression levels of DEGs involved in inflammation, and mildly increased the expression levels of DEGs involved in chondrogenesis and chondrocyte proliferation.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that DAE might serve as a complementary therapeutic regent for cartilage growth and regeneration to treat cartilage degenerative disease, such as osteoarthritis.

Highlights

Deer antler is a zoological exception due to its fantastic characteristics, including amazing growth rate and repeatable regeneration
Our findings indicate that the major active components in deer antler are aqueous proteins, which account for 70% of the freshly prepared aqueous extract (DAE) [11]
We demonstrated that deer antler extract (DAE) significantly increased the expression levels of Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in cartilage growth and regeneration, but decreased the expression levels of DEGs involved in inflammation, and mildly increased the expression levels of DEGs involved in chondrogenesis and chondrocyte proliferation

Summary

Introduction

Deer antler is a zoological exception due to its fantastic characteristics, including amazing growth rate and repeatable regeneration. Xiphoid cartilage (XC), known as xiphoid process, is a small cartilaginous region located in the lower part of the sternum [1]. Since cartilage is solely composed of cells, namely, chondrocytes, which have very poor capacities for self-renewal, cartilage regeneration remains one of the major challenges in this century [5]. Antler growth is powered by the proliferation and differentiation of cells resided in the antler tip, known as antler growth center, which is a cartilaginous structure classified into different zones, such as mesenchyme, precartilage, cartilage, and mineralized cartilage, and the process of antler growth resembles that of endochondral ossification during long bone development [8, 9]. The regulation of deer antler on cartilage homeostasis and development remains largely unknown

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