Retracted: Icariin attenuates methotrexate chemotherapy-induced bone marrow microvascular damage and bone loss in rats

Methotrexate (MTX), a widely used antimetabolite in paediatric cancer to treatment, has been widely reported to cause bone loss and bone marrow (BM) microvascular (particularly sinusoids) damage. Investigations must now investigate how MTX-induced bone loss and microvasculature damage can be attenuated/prevented. In the present study, we examined the potency of icariin, an herbal flavonoid, in reducing bone loss and the dilation/damage of BM sinusoids in rats caused by MTX treatment. Groups of young rats were treated with five daily MTX injections (0.75 mg/kg) with and without icariin oral supplementation until Day 9 after the first MTX injection. Histological analyses showed a significant reduction in the bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) fraction (%) and trabecular number in the metaphysis trabecular bone of MTX-treated rats, but no significant changes in trabecular thickness and trabecular spacing. However, the BV/TV (%) and trabecular number were found to be significantly higher in MTX + icariin-treated rats than those of MTX alone-treated rats. Gene expression analyses showed that icariin treatment maintained expression of osteogenesis-related genes but suppressed the induction of adipogenesis-related genes in bones of MTX-treated rats. In addition, icariin treatment attenuated MTX-induced dilation of BM sinusoids and upregulated expression of endothelial cell marker CD31 in the metaphysis bone of icariin + MTX-treated rats. Furthermore, in vitro studies suggest that icariin treatment can potentially enhance the survival of cultured rat sinusoidal endothelial cells against cytotoxic effect of MTX and promote their migration and tube formation abilities, which is associated with enhanced production of nitric oxide.     

Icariin promotes osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells and prevents bone loss in OVX mice via activating autophagy

Osteoporosis (OP) results from the impaired function of endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Icariin (ICA) has shown potential osteoprotective effects. However, the molecular mechanism for the anabolic action of ICA remains largely unknown. The objective of the present study is to investigate whether ICA prevents bone loss by acting on BMSCs via affecting the level of autophagy after ovariectomy (OVX). The BMSCs were extracted from BALB/c mice treated with ICA, chloroquine (CQ, an autophagy inhibitor) or ICA + CQ. The OVX mice were injected with ICA, CQ, or ICA + CQ for 1 month. We performed Alizarin Red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining to detect osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Micro-CT, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Oil Red O staining, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining were used to assess the bone mass, lipid droplets and osteoclasts in femurs. Autophagy activity in BMSCs from different groups was evaluated by Western blot analysis. The osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs from OVX-induced OP mice was decreased. Treatment with ICA reduced bone loss and formation of osteoclasts and increased osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and vivo. In addition, autophagy was enhanced in BMSCs of OVX mice treated with ICA. Our results indicate that ICA prevents OVX-induced bone loss possibly by strengthening the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via increasing autophagic activity.     

Shared KEGG pathways of icariin-targeted genes and osteoarthritis

The beneficial effects of icariin in the management of many diseases, such as chronic renal failure and heart failure, are well known. Icariin has also been shown to ameliorate osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, a bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate the KEGG pathways of icariin-targeted genes involved in OA. Our study suggests that icariin plays a role in OA by regulating inflammatory cytokine production, insulin resistance, and cell survival through modulation of the NF-κB, MAPK, and Akt signaling pathways. Importantly, IKBKB, NFKBIA, MAPK8, MAPK9, and MAPK10 may be the hub genes affected by icariin when providing its beneficial effects on OA. In addition, we found that icariin decreases proinflammatory factors and inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis through suppression of the NF-κB pathway. Our study highlights a set of KEGG pathways that could explain the molecular mechanism of icariin's action on OA, suggesting that icariin could be considered as a promising therapeutic option for OA.     

Simultaneous Preparation and Comparison of the Osteogenic Effects of Epimedins A – C and Icariin from Epimedium brevicornu

In this study, epimedins A‐, B‐, and C‐, and icariin‐rich extracts were simultaneously isolated from Epimedium brevicornu Maxim . through a convenient four‐stage process consisting of solvent extraction, macroporous resin column pre‐concentration, extraction fractionation, and reversed‐phase (RP) silica gel column chromatography. Single factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the preparation conditions. In the final products, the purities of epimedins A – C and icariin were 23.04%, 64.50%, 54.92%, and 77.54%, respectively, which will lay a foundation for the further purification of epimedin monomers and full utilization of Epimedium resources. Meanwhile, the osteogenic effects of epimedins A – C were investigated for the first time and compared with that of icariin, which will provide guidance for the clinical applications of Epimedium in the treatment of osteoporosis.     

不同群落类型柔毛淫羊藿总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量及其与土壤因子的关系

2009年8月,采用高效液相色谱法和紫外分光光度法测定了唐家河自然保护区次生落叶阔叶林红桦群落(群落Ⅰ)、常绿落叶阔叶混交林细叶青冈群落(群落Ⅱ)和常绿阔叶林油樟群落(群落Ⅲ)下生长的柔毛淫羊藿各器官的总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量,分析其与土壤因子的关系结果表明：柔毛淫羊藿叶片中总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量最高、茎中最低;群落Ⅰ的柔毛淫羊藿总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量［(5.32±0.23)%和(0.47±0.05)%］均显著高于群落Ⅱ［(4.06±0.03)%和(0.32±0.01)%］和群落Ⅲ［(4.15±0.07)%和(0.28±0.09)%］;土壤氮含量和pH值对柔毛淫羊藿的总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量影响较大,柔毛淫羊藿总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量与土壤全氮和碱解氮呈显著负相关(P<0.05),与土壤pH值呈极显著正相关(P<0.01).土壤较低的氮供应水平和较高的土壤酸度可能使群落Ⅰ柔毛淫羊藿的总黄酮和淫羊藿苷含量增加.     

粗毛淫羊藿的类黄酮异戊烯转移酶基因的克隆与表达分析

药用植物淫羊藿富含异戊烯类黄酮,LC-MS定量分析表明,3～4月份粗毛淫羊藿叶片处于变色期时淫羊藿苷含量最高。通过简并引物和RACE-PCRAL粗毛淫羊藿叶片获得异戊烯转移酶同源基因（命名为EaPTI）。序列分析表明,EaPTI与维生素E合成相关的尿黑酸异戊烯转移酶位于同一进化枝,靠近类黄酮异戊烯转移酶。RT-PCR结果显示,EaPTI在叶片和幼茎中表达显著。     

大孔吸附树脂柱层析分离淫羊藿甙的研究

本文通过考察八种大孔吸附树脂对淫羊藿甙的吸附分离性能,筛选出了AB-8树脂作为分离纯化淫羊藿甙的介质。对该树脂的吸附性能研究表明其对浸提物中的淫羊藿甙有良好的吸附选择性,静态饱和吸附容量和动态吸附容量分别为22．97和16．20mg／mL。通过柱层析实验确定了AB-8树脂分离淫羊藿甙的工艺,经一步层析可将淫羊藿甙的纯度从2．78％提高到27％,回收率达97．3％。     

超声波处理对淫羊藿苷生物转化的影响

利用超声波技术分别对淫羊藿苷粗品及淫羊藿苷转化发酵液进行处理,探讨超声波处理对淫羊藿苷生物转化效果的影响。经过超声波处理的实验组与未经超声波处理的对照组相比,转化效果显著提高;高效液相色谱图显示经超声波处理后淫羊藿苷峰几乎消失,苷元峰突出,超声波处理对淫羊藿苷生物转化效果影响很大。本研究确定超声波的最佳处理条件为频率40kHz,时间30min。     

Icariin reduces bone loss in a Rankl-induced transgenic medaka (Oryzias latipes) model for osteoporosis

Given the limitations and side effects of many synthetic drugs, natural products are an important alternative source for drugs and medications for many diseases. Icariin (ICA), one of the main flavonoids from plants of the Epimedium genus, has been shown to ameliorate osteoporosis and improve bone health in preclinical studies. Those studies have used different in vivo models, mostly rodents, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study shows, for the first time, that ICA reduces bone damage in a Rankl-induced medaka fish (Oryzias latipes), a non-rodent osteoporosis model. Live imaging was previously performed in this model to characterize antiresorptive and bone-anabolic properties of drugs. Here, a new quantification method (I_M) was established based on the length of mineralized neural arches to quantify levels of bone mineralization damage and protection in early post-embryonic fish. This method was validated by quantification of three levels of bone damage in three independent Rankl fish lines, and by the determination of different degrees of severity of osteoporosis-like phenotypes in one Rankl line exposed to variable Rankl induction schemes. I_M was also used to quantify the efficacy of alendronate and etidronate, two common anti-osteoporotic bisphosphonates, and revealed comparable bone protective effects for ICA and alendronate in this fish osteoporosis model. This study's data support the value of the medaka fish model for bone research and establish a method to screen for novel osteoprotective compounds.     

淫羊藿苷对小鼠力竭游泳时间及力竭恢复小鼠血清生化指标的影响

为探讨淫羊藿苷(icariin,ICA)对小鼠力竭游泳时间及力竭恢复小鼠血清生化指标的影响,对小鼠以不同剂量的ICA灌胃12 d,进行一次性力竭游泳,恢复24 h后,用超微量微孔板分光光度计测定小鼠血清的丙氨酸转氨酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸转氨酶(AST)活性和丙二醛(MDA)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血糖(SG)含量,用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)同工酶.结果表明,ICA中剂量组小鼠力竭游泳时间明显延长(P＜0.05),血清的ALT、AST活性和MDA、BUN含量以及LDH总活力与对照组相比都有显著性降低(P＜0.05),SG无显著性差异(P＞0.05).结果说明,淫羊藿苷中剂量组具有较强的抗疲劳作用.