Combination therapy of Chinese herbal medicine Fructus Ligustri Lucidi with high calcium diet on calcium imbalance induced by ovariectomy in mice. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yan; Mukwaya, Emmanuel; Pan, Hai; Li, Xiao-Min; Yang, Jiu-Lin; Ge, Jun; Wang, Hai-Ying
• Is Part Of: Pharmaceutical biology. Volume 53:Number 7(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 1082
• Page End: 1085
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Pharmacognosy -- Periodicals; Materia medica, Vegetable -- Periodicals; 615.321
• DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2014.950388
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-0209

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Context</italic>: Our previous biological study demonstrated that Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL), the fruit of <italic>Ligustrum lucidum</italic> Ait. (Oleaceae), could be used to maintain calcium balance and prevent age-related osteoporosis since it effectively decreased calcium loss and increased calcium retention in rats.</p> <p> <italic>Objective</italic>: This study investigates the combination effect of the Chinese herbal medicine FLL and a high calcium diet on calcium imbalance induced by ovariectomy in mice.</p> <p> <italic>Materials and methods</italic>: The ovariectomized (OVX) mice were orally treated with vehicle, FLL extract (700 mg/kg), milk powder (5 g/mice) fortified with calcium (1.0% Ca) and the combination of FLL with milk powder. After 6 weeks of treatment, urine, serum, and tibia were preserved for biochemical analysis and kidneys were taken for gene expression analysis.</p> <p> <italic>Results</italic>: The combination treatment of FLL and a high calcium diet significantly increased bone calcium content (6.80 ± 0.34 mg) by 22% (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05) and decreased urine calcium excretion (0.099 ± 0.009 mg/mg) by 62% (<italic>p</italic> < 0.01) as compared with those of the OVX group (bone Ca, 5.57 ± 0.31 mg; urine Ca/Cr, 0.261 ± 0.017 mg/mg). The mRNA expression of renal calcium-binding protein-9k (CaBP-9k) and calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in combination treatment group was significantly up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, as compared with those of the OVX group.</p> <p> <italic>Conclusion</italic>: The beneficial effects of this combination therapy on calcium balance of OVX mice were, at least partially, attributed to its regulation on mRNA expression of CaBP-9k and CaSR in kidney.</p> </abstract>