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. 2012 Sep 5;17(9):10574-85.
doi: 10.3390/molecules170910574.

Effects of velvet antler with blood on bone in ovariectomized rats

Sung-Hui Tseng  1 , Hsin-Ching Sung, Lih-Geeng Chen, Ying-Jang Lai, Kun-Teng Wang, Chun-Hsien Sung, Ching-Chiung Wang
Affiliations

Effects of velvet antler with blood on bone in ovariectomized rats

Sung-Hui Tseng et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), both velvet antlers (VA) and VA blood can tonify qi, essence, and marrow, nourish the blood, and invigorate bones and tendons. In TCM, the combination of VA and VA blood is believed to have superior pharmacological effects. Scientific evidence supporting the traditional therapeutic preference for redder antler is needed. The effectiveness of the combination therapy of VA middle sections (VAMs) and VA blood (VAM-B) was first examined in promoting proliferation of mouse osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1). The anti-osteoporotic activity of VAM-B (ratio of VAM:VA blood = 1:0.2) was evaluated with ovariectomized (OVX) rats at a dose of 0.2 g/kg. In VAM-B-treated OVX rats, the body weight decreased 10.7%, and the strength of vertebrae and the femur respectively increased 18.1% and 15.4%, compared to the control. VAM-B treatment also recovered the estrogen-related loss of the right tibial trabecular bone microarchitecture. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) significantly decreased, but estradiol did not significantly change in serum of VAM-B-treated OVX rats. We also provide an effective strategy to enhance the anti-osteoporotic activity of VAM. In conclusion, our results provide scientific evidence supporting the traditional therapeutic preference of redder antler and indicate that VAM-B is a potential therapeutic agent for managing osteoporosis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Body weight changes in sham, control (ovariectomized (OVX)-untreated), ethinyl estradiol (ES) (OVX+ES), andmiddle portion of velvet antler and blood combination (VAM-B) (OVX+VA-B) rats. Values are the mean ± SD, n = 8.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Serum estradiol (A), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (B) in sham, control (ovariectomized (OVX)), ethinyl estradiol (ES) (OVX+ES), andmiddle portion of velvet antler and blood combination (VAM-B) (OVX+VA-B) rats at the end of the 20-week treatment. Values are mean ± SD, n = 8. # Compared to the sham group, p < 0.05; * compared to the control group, p < 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maximal load values of the femur (A) and first lumbar vertebra (B) in sham-operated, control (ovariectomized (OVX)), ethinyl estradiol (ES) (OVX+ES), andmiddle portion velvet antler and blood combination (VAM-B) (OVX+VA-B) rats at the end of the 20-week treatment. Values are the mean ± SD, n = 8. # Compared to the sham group, p < 0.05; * compared to the control group, p < 0.05.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Microarchitecture of the tibia bone in sham-operated, control (ovariectomized (OVX)), ethinyl estradiol (ES) (OVX+ES), andmiddle portion velvet antler and blood combination (VAM-B) (OVX+VA-B) rats at the end of the 20-week treatment. The arrow indicates loss of the trabecular bone structure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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