Eucommia Ulmoides Extracts Exert Protective Effect on Osteoporosis in Rats

Abstract

Our study proposed to probe the therapeutic effect of Eucommia ulmoides extracts (EUE) on osteoporosis in rats and the potential mechanism. Castrated osteoporosis model was constructed in rats, followed by orally administrated with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg EUE per day for one and half months, with sham animals as the negative control. The pathological conditions of femur were detected by HE staining, while the apoptotic state was evaluated by TUNEL. ELISA was utilized to measure the serum level of IL-6, calcium, and phosphorus. Significantly damaged bone trabecular structure and aggravated apoptosis were observed in castrated osteoporosis model rats, which were markedly alleviated by the administration of EUE. Furthermore, compared to control, the serum level of phosphorus was greatly declined and the IL-6 level was dramatically increased in castrated osteoporosis model rats, which were reversed by the administration of EUE. Taken together, EUE improved the pathological state of the femur tissue in osteoporosis rats by regulating the levels of phosphorus and IL-6 in serum and inhibited the apoptosis of the femur tissue cells, which effectively alleviated the osteoporosis induced by estrogen deficiency.