Abstract
Typically, bone regenerative medicine is applied to repair bone defects in patients with osteoporosis. Meanwhile, there is an urgent need to develop safe and cheap drugs that induce bone formation. Icariin, which is reported to promote the osteogenesis of stem cells in vitro, is the main active component of Herba Epimedii. However, whether icariin could repair bone defects caused by osteoporosis remains unknown. In this study, an osteoporosis model in rats was established by an ovariectomy first, and then, the osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) treated with icariin was evaluated. Furthermore, calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffolds loaded with icariin were constructed and then implanted into nude mice to determine the optimal construction. To evaluate its osteogenic and angiogenic ability in vivo, this construction was applied to calvarial defect of the ovariectomized (OVX) rats accompanied with an icariin gavage. This demonstrated that icariin could up-regulate the expression of osteogenic and angiogenic genes in BMSCs. Meanwhile, osteoclast formation was inhibited. Moreover, CPC could act as a suitable icariin delivery system for repairing bone defects by enhancing osteogenesis and angiogenesis, while the systemic administration of icariin has an antiosteoporotic effect that promotes bone defect repair.
Highlights
Most scaffolds currently used only have osteoconductive abilities and lack powerful osteoinductive properties[6, 7]
bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) derived from OVX rats were treated in advance with icariin at a series of concentrations to confirm an appropriate concentration for in vitro osteogenesis by detecting cell proliferation, osteogenesis activity and angiogenic factor expression in the BMSCs
Based on our previous study[15], icariin, at concentrations from 10 to 40 μM demonstrates an excellent ability to improve osteogenic differentiation and angiogenic factor expression in BMSCs derived from young rats, especially at 20 μM, while cell proliferation is inhibited
Summary
Most scaffolds currently used (i.e., those made from ceramics, polymers, and metals) only have osteoconductive abilities and lack powerful osteoinductive properties[6, 7]. Icariin (C33H40O15; molecular weight: 676.67), a flavonoid glycoside that is the major active ingredient of Herba Epimedii, is considered as the standard for its quality control[13]. It corrects the decrease of estrogen in serum and partly restores the decreased weight of the uterus in ovariectomized (OVX) rats[14]. A calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffold was used to construct an icariin delivery system and was loaded with BMSCs to effectively promote bone and vessel formation in bone defects. The optimal concentration of icariin for osteogenic and angiogenic factor expression and osteoclast formation of BMSCs was explored by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. The optimized CPC/icariin construction was filled in the OVX rat calvarial defect model accompanied by an oral administration of icariin, and osteogenesis and angiogenesis were investigated in vivo by sequential fluorescent labeling, a histological assay and a micro-CT measurement 8 weeks after the implantation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
