EFFECTS OF OLD ANTLER ON PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF BONE MARROW STROMAL STEM CELLS IN OVARIECTOMIZED RATS

초록

Osteoporosis in the most prevalent metabolic bone disease in Korea. Bone loss occurs in the postmenopausal woman as a result of an increased rate of bone remodeling due to increasing osteoclastic activity and an imbalance between an activity of osteoclasts and osteoblast. The general treatment modalities of postmenopausal osteoporosis are antiresorptive agents such as estrogen, bisphosphonates, and calcitonin. However, antiresorptive therapy of postmenopausal osteoporosis had a limitation. Therefore, active bone forming agents of osteoporosis is needed. Herbal medicines have been claimed to have beneficial effects for the fracture healing and bone formation. Extracts of antler and old antler were known to have effects on the immune modulation, lowering of cholesterol, correction of anemia, detoxification of hepatic injuries, and growth. However, beneficial effects on the bone metabolism were not determined. In order to investigate the possible mechanism on the bone metabolism of old antler, extract was used for in vivo and in vitro study. 2-month-old female Sprague-Dauley rats were used in this study. Eight rats were placed on Chow diet and served as control (C), and eight rats were got Chow diet with old antler (C+OA) for 8 weeks. Eight rats were done ovariectomy for 4 weeks and had Chow diet (OVX), and another eight ovariectomized rats had Chow diet with old antler (OVX+OA). We examined the colony forming unit-fibroblasts (CFU-Fs) counts and mineralization of rat stromal stem cell. The experimental results obtained are summarized at follows: 1. The hematocrits after treated with old antler groups were significant increase than those of general diet treated groups. 2. After ovariectomy, body weights were significant increase. 3. Total CFU-Fs counts were not significant difference among the study groups. 4. Proportions of alkaline phosphatase positive colonies per total CFU-Fs of ovariectomized rats with old antler were significantly increase than those of