RESUMEN
Rhizoma Dioscoreae extract (RDE) exhibits a protective effect on alveolar bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The aim of this study was to predict the pathways or targets that are regulated by RDE, by reassessing our previously reported data and conducting a proteinprotein interaction (PPI) network analysis. In total, 383 differentially expressed genes (≥3fold) between alveolar bone samples from the RDE and OVX group rats were identified, and a PPI network was constructed based on these genes. Furthermore, four molecular clusters (AD) in the PPI network with the smallest Pvalues were detected by molecular complex detection (MCODE) algorithm. Using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) tools, two molecular clusters (A and B) were enriched for biological process in Gene Ontology (GO). Only cluster A was associated with biological pathways in the IPA database. GO and pathway analysis results showed that cluster A, associated with cell cycle regulation, was the most important molecular cluster in the PPI network. In addition, cyclindependent kinase 1 (CDK1) may be a key molecule achieving the cellcycleregulatory function of cluster A. From the PPI network analysis, it was predicted that delayed cell cycle progression in excessive alveolar bone remodeling via downregulation of CDK1 may be another mechanism underling the antiosteopenic effect of RDE on alveolar bone.