Identification of prognostic signatures in remnant gastric cancer through an interpretable risk model based on machine learning: a multicenter cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an individual survival prediction model based on multiple machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict survival probability for remnant gastric cancer (RGC). METHODS: Clinicopathologic data of 286 patients with RGC undergoing operation (radical resection and palliative resection) from a multi-institution database were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. These individuals were split into training (80%) and test cohort (20%) by using random allocation. Nine commonly used ML methods were employed to construct survival prediction models. Algorithm performance was estimated by analyzing accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), confusion matrices, five-fold cross-validation, decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration curve. The best model was selected through appropriate verification and validation and was suitably explained by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach. RESULTS: Compared with the traditional methods, the RGC survival prediction models employing ML exhibited good performance. Except for the decision tree model, all other models performed well, with a mean ROC AUC above 0.7. The DCA findings suggest that the developed models have the potential to enhance clinical decision-making processes, thereby improving patient outcomes. The calibration curve reveals that all models except the decision tree model displayed commendable predictive performance. Through CatBoost-based modeling and SHAP analysis, the five-year survival probability is significantly influenced by several factors: the lymph node ratio (LNR), T stage, tumor size, resection margins, perineural invasion, and distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: This study established predictive models for survival probability at five years in RGC patients based on ML algorithms which showed high accuracy and applicative value.

The application value of LAVA-flex sequences in enhanced MRI scans of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: comparison with T1WI-IDEAL.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) staging scans are critical for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). We aimed to evaluate the application value of LAVA-Flex and T1WI-IDEAL sequences in MRI staging scans. Methods: Eighty-four newly diagnosed NPC patients underwent both LAVA-Flex and T1WI-IDEAL sequences during MRI examinations. Two radiologists independently scored the acquisitions of image quality, fat suppression quality, artifacts, vascular and nerve display. The obtained scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. According to the signal intensity (SI) measurements, the uniformity of fat suppression, contrast between tumor lesions and subcutaneous fat tissue, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were compared by the paired t-test. Results: Compared to the T1WI-IDEAL sequence, LAVA-Flex exhibited fewer artifacts (P<0.05), better visualization of nerves and vessels (P<0.05), and performed superior in the fat contrast ratio of the primary lesion and metastatic lymph nodes (0.80 vs. 0.52, 0.81 vs. 0.56, separately, P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in overall image quality, tumor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), muscle SNR, and the detection rate of lesions between the two sequences (P>0.05). T1WI-IDEAL was superior to LAVA-Flex in the evaluation of fat suppression uniformity (P<0.05). Discussion: LAVA-Flex sequence provides satisfactory image quality and better visualization of nerves and vessels for NPC with shorter scanning times.

Antiosteoporotic effects and proteomic characterization of the target and mechanism of an Er-Xian Decoction on osteoblastic UMR-106 and osteoclasts induced from RAW264.7.

Er-Xian Decoction (EXD) has been used for the treatment of osteoporosis disorders, menopausal syndrome, and other aging diseases in the Chinese traditional healthcare system. However, the targets and mechanism of action have not been clarified. This study was designed to investigate the effects and possible target proteins of EXD on osteoblastic UMR-106 cells and osteoclasts induced from RAW264.7 cells using the proteomic analysis technique. We found that EXD at a concentration of 50-200 microg/mL significantly enhanced osteoblastic UMR-106 cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and formation of bone nodules, and decreased tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity and the bone resorption action of osteoclasts induced from RAW 264.7 cells. In EXD-treated osteoblasts, there were increases in the expression of heat-shock protein 1, high mobility group protein (Hmgb1), acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein P0, histone 2, carbonyl reductase 1, ATP synthase, aldolase A, and Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor (GDI)-alpha; and reduction in the expression of carbonic anhydrase 3, prohibitin, hemiferrin, far upstream element (FUSE)-binding protein. In EXD-treated osteoclasts, there were increases in the expression of vimentin, protein disulfide isomerase associated 3 and alpha-fetoprotein; and reduction in the expression of calnexin. These results indicated that EXD modulates bone metabolism through regulation of osteoblastic proliferation, apoptosis, and cell activation, and osteoclastic protein folding and aggregation.

Antinociceptive activity of Paederosidic Acid Methyl Ester (PAME) from the n-butanol fraction of Paederia scandens in mice.

Antinociceptive activity of Paederosidic Acid Methyl Ester (PAME), a chemical compound isolated from the n-butanol fraction of Paederia scandens, was evaluated in mice using chemical and thermal models of nociception. PAME given by intraperitoneal injection at doses of 20, 40 and 60 mg/kg produced significant inhibitions on chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid, subplantar formalin or capsaicin injections and on thermal nociception in the tail-flick test and the hot plate test. In the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep time test and the open-field test, PAME neither significantly enhanced the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep time nor impaired the motor performance, indicating that the observed antinociceptive activity of PAME was unlikely due to sedation or motor abnormality. Core body temperature measurement showed that PAME did not affect temperature within a 2-h period. Moreover, PAME-induced antinociception in the hot plate test was insensitive to naloxone or nimodipine but significantly antagonized by L-NAME (N (G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester), methylene blue and glibenclamide. These results suggested that PAME-produced antinociception was possibly related to the pathway of NO-cGMP-ATP sensitive K(+) channels, which merited further studies regarding the precise site and mechanisms of action.

Authentication and quantitative analysis on the chemical profile of Xanthium fruit (Cang-Er-Zi) by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detection tandem mass spectrometry method.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method using diode-array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) was developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis on Xanthium fruit, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, 7 characteristic components, 1-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 1,5-O-di-caffeoylquinic acid, 1,3-O-di-caffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-O-di-caffeoylquinic acid and 1,3,5-O-tri-caffeoylquinic acid were identified and quantified by a validated HPLC-DAD method, and a fingerprint comprised of 12 markers was established under the same operating conditions. Furthermore, HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was successfully used to deduce the structure of three main constituents. On the basis of the established chromatographic profiles, 30 populations of cocklebur samples including 3 related species and 1 unknown species were divided into 3 chemotypes, indicated that place of origin significantly influences the kinds and content of components in cocklebur, and hence affects their quality. The simultaneous determination of 7 caffeoylquinic acids in the 30 samples showed a great variety in the amounts of caffeoylquinic acids present. The study indicated that some species such as Xanthium mongolicum of the genus Xanthium might be suitable for development as new alternative sources of caffeoylquinic acids to supplement the officially listed Xanthium species, and the abundant constituents such as chlorogenic acid perhaps should be recorded in some authorized publications and applied to the quality control or quality evaluation for Xanthium in China. The entire analytical procedure is reproducible and suitable for the authentication and quantification of Xanthium fruits.

Population genetic structure of the medicinal plant Vitex rotundifolia in China: implications for its use and conservation.

Vitex rotundifolia L. is an important plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine. For its efficient use and conservation, genetic diversity and clonal variation of V. rotundifolia populations in China were investigated using inter-simple sequence repeat markers. Fourteen natural populations were included to estimate genetic diversity, and a large population with 135 individuals was used to analyze clonal variation and fine-scale spatial genetic structure. The overall genetic diversity (GD) of V. rotundifolia populations in China was moderate (GD = 0.190), with about 40% within-population variation. Across all populations surveyed, the average within-population diversity was moderate (P = 22.6%; GD = 0.086). A relatively high genetic differentiation (G(st) = 0.587) among populations was detected based on the analysis of molecular variance data. Such characteristics of V. rotundifolia are likely attributed to its sexual/asexual reproduction and limited gene flow. The genotypic diversity (D = 0.992) was greater than the average values of a clonal plant, indicating its significant reproduction through seedlings. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a clear within-population structure with gene clusters of approximately 20 m. Genetic diversity patterns of V. rotundifolia in China provide a useful guide for its efficient use and conservation by selecting particular populations displaying greater variation that may contain required medicinal compounds, and by sampling individuals in a population at >20 m spatial intervals to avoid collecting individuals with identical or similar genotypes.

Antiosteoporotic chemical constituents from Er-Xian Decoction, a traditional Chinese herbal formula.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Er Xian Decoction (EXD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has long been used for the treatment of osteoporosis and menopausal syndrome in China. The present study was designed to investigate the antiosteoporotic constituents of EXD, and evaluate their antiosteoporotic effects in ovariectomized rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteoblasts in neonatal calvaria cultures and osteoclasts derived from rat marrow cells were used to bioactivity-guided screen the active constituents. The proliferation of osteoblast was assayed by MTT methods. The activity of ALP and TRAP was measured by p- nitrophenyl sodium phosphate assay. The antiosteoporotic effects of icariin (1), anemarsaponin B II (8) and berberine (6) were verified by using OVX rats model. The bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry using the small animal scan mode. The undecalcified longitudinal proximal tibial metaphysical (PTM) sections were cut and stained for the bone histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS: Bioactivity-guided fractionation has led to the successful isolation of antiosteoporotic constituents, i.e., icariin (1), icariside I (2), baohuoside I (3), mangiferin (4), neomangiferin (5), berberine (6), anemarsaponin B (7), anemarsaponin BII (8), anemarsaponin C (9), anemarrhenasaponin I (10), rubiadin-1-methyl ether (11) and obaculactone (12) from EXD. Further study showed that icariin (1), anemarsaponin BII (8) and berberine (6) increased the BMD in ovariectomized rats, and icariin (1) not only increased the bone formation, but also inhibited bone resorption; anemarsaponin BII (8) mainly increased bone formation and berberine (6) only inhibited the bone resorption in ovariectomized rats. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that multiple ingredients are responsible for antiosteoporotic activity in traditional Chinese medicine formula Er-Xian decoction.

Anti-nociceptive activity of aqueous fraction from the MeOH extracts of Paederia scandens in mice.

AIM OF THE STUDY: We examined the effects of the aqueous fraction (AF) on nociception models mice induced by the chemical and the thermal stimuli so as to elucidate the analgesic activity and provide scientific basis for the clinical use of Paederia scandens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The AF of MeOH extract from P. scandens was evaluated on anti-nociceptive activity in mice using chemical and thermal models of nociception. RESULTS: Given orally, the aqueous fraction at doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg produced significant inhibitions on chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid and subplantar formalin injections and on thermal nociception in the tail-flick test and in the hot plate test. More significant inhibition of nociception was observed at dose of 800 mg/kg of this fraction. In the pentobarbital sodium -induced sleeping time test and the open-field test, the aqueous fraction neither significantly enhanced the pentobarbital sodium -induced sleeping time nor impaired the motor performance, indicating that the observed anti-nociception was unlikely due to sedation or motor abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that the aqueous fraction produced anti-nociception possibly related to the iridoid glycosides and polysaccharides in this fraction.

Regulative effects of essential oil from Atractylodes lancea on delayed gastric emptying in stress-induced rats.

Gastric motor dysfunction induced by psychological stress results in many symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD). There are a number of herbal medicines that are reported to improve gastrointestinal motor. However, the mechanisms of considerable herbal medicines are not explicit. In the present study, the effects of an essential oil (EO) extracted from Atractylodes lancea on delayed gastric emptying, gastrointestinal hormone and hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) abnormalities induced by restraint stress in rats were investigated and the mechanism of the EO is also explored. Oral administration of EO for 7 days did not affect normal gastric emptying, but accelerated delayed gastric emptying induced by restraint stress in rats. The EO significantly increased the levels of motilin (MTL) and gastrin (GAS) and decreased the levels of somatostatin (SS) and CRF. The EO did not modify gastric emptying in vagotomized rats that underwent restraint stress, but antagonized delayed gastric emptying induced by intracisternal injection of CRF. These results suggest that the regulative effects of the EO on delayed gastric emptying are preformed mainly via inhibition of the release of central CRF and activation of vagal pathway, which are also involved in the release of gastrointestinal hormones such as MTL, GAS and SS.

Correlation between the genetic diversity and variation of total phenolic acids contents in Fructus Xanthii from different populations in China.

Fructus Xanthii (Cang-Er-Zi) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used in curing nasal diseases and headache according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. For the effective quality control of its medicinal values, reflected by chemical variation patterns, in addition to the relationship with genetic diversity, analyses based on UV spectrophotometry, HPLC fingerprinting and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers were carried out, involving 16 Xanthium populations from different locations in China. The HPLC data showed considerable variation of chemical constituents among the 16 Xanthium populations, and they were classified to three chemotypes by hierarchical clustering analysis. Abundant genetic diversity was detected among the Xanthium populations, which were also clustered into three groups based on their ISSR data and varied according to different species. Combining the genetic divergence and chemical differences showed an important result that, in the two chemotypes, the higher contents of total phenolic acids (TPA) in Fructus Xanthii showed greater genetic diversity (I). We suggest that genetic diversity affects the contents of TPA. Since variable phenolic acid contents may affect therapeutic efficacy, it is important to point out that combining the use of genetic base with chemotype will help control the favourable chemotypes and breed new cultivars with more desirable chemical constituents.

Antinociceptive activity of petroleum ether fraction from the MeOH extracts of Paederia scandens in mice.

The petroleum ether fraction of MeOH extract from Paederia scandens was evaluated on anti-nociceptive activity in mice using chemical and thermal models of nociception. Given orally, the petroleum ether fraction (PEF) at doses of 20, 40 and 80mg/kg produced significant inhibitions on chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid and subplantar formalin or capsaicin injections and on thermal nociception in the tail-flick test and in the hot plate test. More significant inhibition of nociception was observed at dose of 80mg/kg of the petroleum ether fraction. In the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time test and the open-field test, the petroleum ether fraction neither significantly enhanced the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time nor impaired the motor performance, indicating that the observed anti-nociception was unlikely due to sedation or motor abnormality. Moreover, the petroleum ether fraction-induced anti-nociception in both capsaicin and formalin tests was insensitive to naloxone, but was significantly antagonized by glibenclamide. These results suggested that the petroleum ether fraction produced anti-nociception possibly related to glibenclamide-sensitive K(+)-ATP channels, which merited further studies regarding the precise site and mechanism of action. The major constituents of the petroleum ether fraction (PEF) determined by GC/MS analysis, are linoleic acid, the sterols and vitamin E. Therefore it can be suggested that they exert synergetic effects and are together responsible for the antinociceptive activity of the PEF-fraction.

[Effect of Liriope platyphylla total saponin on learning, memory and metabolites in aging mice induced by D-galactose].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Liriope platyphylla total saponin (LPTS) on learning, memory, neuromediators and metabolites in aging mice induced by D-galactose. METHODS: Ninety Kunming mice were randomly divided into nine groups: normal saline (NS)-treated group, untreated group, high- (100 mg/kg), medium- (50 mg/kg) and low-dose (10 mg/kg) LPTS-treated groups, Shuxuening-treated group, jiaogulanosidi-treated group, flunarizine-treated group and vitamin E-treated group. The Kunming mice in the NS-treated group were administered with NS by intraperitoneal injection, while the aging mice in the other eight groups were administered with D-galactose by intraperitoneal injection. At the same time, the aging mice in different groups were fed with corresponding drugs for 42 days, and the aging items of the mice in different groups were measured, respectively. RESULTS: LPTS could improve the memory of aging mice induced by D-galactose, promote its body weight, and increase the thymus and spleen indexes of the aging mice. LPTS could decrease the levels of MDA and lipofuscin, inhibit MAO activity and increase SOD activity and GSH-Px level. CONCLUSION: LPTS may improve the ability of learning and memory and delay aging.

Evaluation of the estrogenic activity of the constituents in the fruits of Vitex rotundifolia L. for the potential treatment of premenstrual syndrome.

The ethanol extract of the fruits of Vitex rotundifolia (VRE) and its four major compounds (casticin, luteolin, rotundifuran and agnuside) were tested for their estrogen-like activity by using the modified cell proliferation assay (E-SCREEN assessment system), as well as the estrogen receptor (ER(alpha)), estrogen receptor-regulated progesterone receptor and pS2 mRNA expression in MCF-7 cells. The results showed that only agnuside and rotundifuran could stimulate the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. These actions were dose dependent (range from 100 nM to 10 microM) and could be significantly inhibited by the specific estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780. The estrogen receptor ER(alpha) and the estrogen receptor-regulated progesterone receptor and pS2 mRNA levels were increased by treatment with rotundifuran and agnuside within 24 h, and the effects could be reversed by ICI 182,780. The standardization of the extract and constituents were carried out by means of a high-performance liquid chromatography-fingerprint. It was concluded that VRE and its compounds showed estrogen-like activity and that the estrogenic effects of rotundifuran and agnuside were mediated by the estrogen inducible gene, which may be useful in regulating the hormone levels to treat related diseases. However, further studies are required to assess the physiological significance of VRE in animals and man.

Estrogen-like activity of volatile components from Vitex rotundifolia L.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The fruits of Vitex rotundifolia L. are used as a traditional medicine in China. Dried fruits of V. rotundifolia (rich in essential oils) have been known to show strong estrogenic activity. Therefore, we investigated volatile components in the essential oil isolated from the fruits of V. rotundifolia and its estrogen-like biological activity in human breast adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: Essential oil was extracted by SFE (supercritical fluid extraction) and its chemical composition was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The estrogenic activity of essential oil was evaluated in the MCF-7 cells by proliferation assay. RESULTS: The chemical composition of 40 compounds was determined and this represented 84.1 per cent of the total oil which was characterized by a high content of unsaturated fatty acids (54.84% of total oil). The oil contained mainly linoleic acid (47.46%), palmitic acid (5.18%), untriacontane (2.28%), bicetyl (2.61%) and stearic acid (2.2%). The essential oil strongly stimulated the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, and this effect was significantly inhibited by the specific estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Our results showed estrogen-like biological activity of the essential oil of the fruits from V. rotundifolia, and in future has a potential medical application.

Association between chemical and genetic variation of Vitex rotundifolia populations from different locations in China: its implication for quality control of medicinal plants.

Vitex rotundifolia is a widely distributed plant species that has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its fruits, Fructus Viticis, are recorded as Manjingzi in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. For the effective quality control of its medicinal values reflected by chemical variation patterns, in addition to the relationship with genetic diversity, analyses based on high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fingerprinting and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers were carried out, involving 14 V. rotundifolia populations from different locations in China. The HPLC data showed considerable variation of chemical constituents among the V. rotundifolia populations. The hierarchical clustering analysis further revealed four major groups based on their chemotype variation. Abundant genetic diversity was detected among the V. rotundifolia populations that also were clustered into four groups based on their ISSR data. It is important to point out that the genetic variation pattern revealed by molecular markers was closely associated with that indicated by chemical constitutes in the fruits of V. rotundifolia. This finding provides a solid basis for the combined use of chemical and genetic fingerprints in efficiently evaluating qualities and choosing favourable chemotypes with appropriate pharmacological properties of V. rotundifolia, in addition to establishing good agricultural practices for medicinal plants.

Coumarins from Cnidium monnieri and their antiosteoporotic activity.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation has led to the successful isolation of antiosteoporotic components, i. e., osthole, imperatorin and bergapten from an ethanolic extract of the fruits of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson. Among them, osthole was determined as the major compound possessing antiosteoporotic activity. Further study showed that osthole not only promoted the proliferation and activity of alkaline phosphatase of osteoblasts in neonatal calvaria cultures, but also inhibited the bone resorption by decreasing the formation, differentiation and TRAP activity of osteoclasts derived from rat marrow cells.

[Studies on chemical constituents of Liriope platyphylla].

Seven chemical constituents were isolated from the CHCl3 fraction and n-BuOH fraction from EtOH ext. of Liriope platyphylla Wang et Tang. Their structures were elucidated as lupenone (I), lupeol (II), ursolic acid (III), beta-sitosterol (IV), diosgenin (V), LP-A (VI) and LP-B (VII) respectively. Compound I, II and V were isolated from this genus of Liriope for the first time. Compound III and IV were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Antinociceptive activity of n-butanol fraction from MeOH extracts of Paederia scandens in mice.

The n-butanol fraction of the MeOH extract from Paederia scandens was evaluated for antinociceptive activity in mice using chemical and thermal models of nociception. The n-butanol fraction, given orally at doses of 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg produced significant inhibition of chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid and subplantar formalin or capsaicin injections, and of thermal nociception in the tail-flick test and in the hot plate test. More significant inhibition of nociception was observed at a dose of 600 mg/kg. In the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time test and the open-field test, the n-butanol fraction neither significantly enhanced pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time nor impaired motor performance, indicating that the observed anti-nociception was unlikely to be due to sedation or motor abnormality. Moreover, the n-butanol fraction-induced anti-nociception in both the capsaicin and formalin tests was insensitive to naloxone or glibenclamide but was significantly antagonized by nimodipine. These results suggest that the n-butanol fraction produced anti-nociception possibly related to nimodipine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channels, which merits further studies regarding the precise site and mechanism of action. Furthermore, four iridoid glycosides isolated from the n-butanol fraction might be related to its antinociceptive action fraction. Therefore, the effect on analgesic activity of each chemical compound in large quantity might well be considered in a further study.

Prevention of bone loss by aqueous extract of Epimedii sagittatum in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevention effect of aqueous extract of Epimedii sagittatum (ESE) on ovariectomy-induced (OVX) bone loss in rats. METHODS: Rats were divided into sham-operated and OVX groups. The OVX rats were divided into four groups treated with distilled water, 17beta-estradiol (1 mg/kg, ig) and ESE (0.5 and 1 g/kg, ig) for 11 weeks. Serum calcium, phosphorus, estradiol, bone gla protein concentrations and serum alkaline phosphatase activity were measured. Bone density was assayed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The undecalcified longitudinal proximal tibial metaphysical sections were cut and stained for the bone histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS: In OVX rats, alkaline phosphatase activity in serum was markedly increased by ESE treatment, which had no obvious influence on the body weight. Meanwhile, atrophy of uterus and descent of bone mineral density were suppressed by ESE treatment. In addition, ESE completely corrected the decreased concentrations of calcium and E2 in serum observed in OVX rats. Histological results also showed ESE prevented the increases in trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) in OVX rats whereas it did not alter trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and trabecular number (Tb.N) in OVX rats. Moreover, ESE had remarkable effect on bone formation rate with bone volume as referent (BFR/BV) and bone formation rate with bone surface as referent (BFR/BS). CONCLUSION: The findings assessed on the basis of biochemical test, bone mineral density and histomorphometric parameters show that aqueous extract of Epimedii sagittatum has a definite antiosteoporotic effect and can prevent the OVX-induced bone loss in rats.

Antiosteoporotic activity of Er-Xian Decoction, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, in ovariectomized rats.

The antiosteoporotic effect of a herbal formula, Er-Xian Decoction (EXD), in ovariectomized (OVX) rats model of osteoporosis was investigated. The rats were divided into Sham and OVX groups. The OVX rats were further sub-divided into four groups administered orally with water, nylestriol (1 mg/kg, weekly) or EXD (300, 600 mg/kg, daily) for 12 weeks. In OVX rats, the increases of body weight, serum BGP and ALP were significantly decreased by EXD treatment. In OVX rats, atrophy of uterus and descent of BMD were suppressed by treatment with EXD and nylestriol. In addition, EXD completely corrected the decreased concentration of calcium, phosphorus, and estradiol in serum observed in OVX rats. EXD also significantly increased biomechanical strength comparable to the Sham group. This was also confirmed by histological results that showed its protective action. The findings assessed on the basis of biochemical, bone mineral density, biomechanical, and histopathological parameters strongly suggested that EXD had a definite antiosteoporotic effect, which is similar to estrogen.