This study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of sericin-calcium (SC) as therapy for ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rats. Three weeks after ovariectomy (OVX), Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into three groups: sham-operated group (Sham), ovariectomized group, and SC-treatment group (OVX+SC). Rats in the OVX+SC group were given drinking water containing 0.07% SC for eight weeks. Bone breaking force, mineralization, and blood parameters related to bone metabolism were analyzed. In OVX animals, blood concentration of 17β-estradiol showed a significant decrease, while osteocalcin and type I collagen C-terminal telopeptides (CTx) showed an increase. Breaking force of femurs as well as bone mineral density (BMD), ash, calcium, and phosphorus in femurs showed a significant decrease following OVX. Treatment with SC (0.07% in drinking water) resulted not only in remarkable restoration of the decreased 17β-estradiol and increased osteocalcin and CTx concentrations, but also led to recovery of decreased femoral breaking force, BMD, ash, calcium, and phosphorus. It is suggested that SC effectively improves bone density by preventing bone turnover-mediated osteocalcin, CTx, and minerals, and that it could be a potential candidate for use in therapy or prevention of post-menopausal osteoporosis.

This study was conducted to investigate the preventing effects of OPB (Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch and Eleutherococcus senticosus Max extracts) and combined OPB/Calcium therapy on bone loss in ovariectomized rats. Sixty Sprague Dawley rats of 12-week-old were divided into eight groups: OVX (ovariectomized), OPBL (OPB 50 mg/kg), OPBM (OPB100 mg/kg), OPBH (OPB 200 mg/kg), OPBL/CAL(OPBL+CAL), OPBM/CAL (OPBM+CAL), OPBH/CAL (OPBH+CAL) and CAL (Calcium citrate 88.33 mg/kg+1, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D₃33.33 IU/kg). Bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), bone strength indices and cortical thickness were analyzed by peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT). pQCT scanning showed that OVX induced a significant decrease in trabecular bone mineral density and bone mineral content in the proximal tibia (-36.4 ±24%, -21.8±12.7%).These decreases were significantly prevented by the administration of OPBM and OPBM/CAL. Cortical BMD and BMC of tibia were slightly enhanced by OPB and OPB/CAL. However there was no significant difference between OVX and OPB, OPB/CAL treated group. Bone strength indices and cortical thickness were not significantly different. Our results suggest that OPB and combined OPB/Calcium therapy are effective in preventing the development of bone loss induced by ovariectomy in rats.

Menopause is characterized by a decrease in estrogen production by the ovaries. Furthermore, the risk of developing chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes increases in menopausal women. In this study, we evaluated the ability of Caragana sinica (CS) to affect lipid and glucose metabolism in an ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rat model of induced menopause. The animals were divwided randomly into three groups: sham-operated rats (SHAM), ovariectomized rats (OVX), and ovariectomized rats treated with 1% water extract of CS (OVX-CS). The OVX-CS treated mice showed a significant decrease in body weight, adipose tissue, triglyceride, and total cholesterol. Improved lipid and glucose profiles were also observed, and were attributed to suppression of hepatic lipogenesis and adipokine production and regulation of glucose-regulating enzyme activity. Therefore, these findings indicate a potential use for CS as a functional food for menopause-induced hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia.

Background : Ginseng, an important traditional medicinal plant still used in rats with bone fractures or dislocation to promote connective tissue repair and to reduce inflammantion. We investigated the effect of ginseng on the proliferation rate of rat bone. Methods and Results : We investigated the effect of ginseng extracts on blood biochemical parameters, bone density and bone inorganic components etc. and data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. In the results of our study, the level of albumin and HDL, Ca, P, Mg, and estradiol in blood, and the content of Ca, P, ash in femur were significantly increased in ginseng treated group than in OVX group, and the level of ALP, AST, ALT, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, creatinine, osteocalcin, and N-terminal telopeptide were significantly decreased in red ginseng treated group than in OVX group (p < 0.01). Conclusion : From these results, we knew that within the normal level, ginseng extracts improved liver and kidney function, component of glucose and lipid in blood, bone densith, bone ash and inorganic components in femur, and index related with bone metabolism.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds have long been clinically used in Korea to promote bone formation and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, the safflower buds (SB) were found to have more useful functional ingredients than safflower seed. Thus, we investigated the preventive effects of SB diet in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The rats were divided into five groups; sham operated group, OVX alone group, OVX plus 17β-estradiol (E2 10 ㎍/㎏, i.p.) and OVX plus SB diet feeding group (0.3% or 1%). Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats markedly increased trabecular formation in femur compared to OVX rats. Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats also decreased TRAP activity compared to OVX rats. These results suggest that SB diets have bone sparing effects by the decrease of osteoclast activity. We also observed that OVX rats fed with SB diet (0.3% or 3%) exhibited the decrease of calcium and phosphorus in serum compared to OVX-induced rats. Therefore, SB may be beneficial for the patients of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.

Superjami is a new rice breed resulted from crossing ‘C3GHi (has high amount of Cyanidin 3-glucoside, and was developed from a cross between ‘Heugjinjubyeo’ and ‘Suweon 425’) and ‘Daeribbyeo 1’. Superjami has 10.9 times higher C3G content compared with ‘Heugjinjubyeo’. It also contains the highest essential amino acids of all kinds (except tryptophan content). This study was done to investigate the effects of extracts from superjami bran on the in-vitro antioxidant metabolism, in-vivo antioxidant metabolism and bone metabolism on menopause- induced condition in experimental rats. Overall, extract from superjami bran was confirmed of improving antioxidant and bone metabolism which can be considered as a good dietary supplement.

The ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly assigned to Sham-Control, OVX-Control, OVX-Superjami (extract) groups. The results showed that the activity of glucokinase to keep the blood sugar constant is increased by increasing insulin secretion from pancreatic β- cells and the homeostatic regulation of glucose. Meanwhile the glyconeogenesis which is involved in the actions of the enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase showed that the glucose level is decreased. It was confirmed that these enzymes regulate the carbohydrate metabolism. On the other hand, results of the measurement of the lipid metabolism in the fat tissue and liver tissue, effect of β-oxidation enzymes and carnitine palmitoyl transferase which is involved in fatty acid oxidation for energy generation is increased. Moreover, the activity of fatty acid synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme have been reduced, therefore, it was confirmed that these enzymes regulate the lipid metabolism.

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of the Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense (C. japonicum)extract on serum level of hormones from induced osteoporosis by ovariectomized rats. Two month-old rats were ovariecto-mized (OVX), remained untreated for 8 weeks, and were subsequently administered C. japonicum (200㎎/㎏) every day for8 weeks. We examined the effects of treated C. japonicum on ovariectomy-related changes in Insulin-like Growth Factors(IGF), Insulin-like Growth Factor binding protein-3 (IGBF-3), Estrogen, Calcium, and Phosporus. After 8 weeks, the serumlevels of IGF-I, -II, and IGFBP-3 were higher presented as compared to the other two groups (P<0.05), in the C. japonicumextract treatment on OVX rats. There were differences between OVX and C. japonicum extract treated OVX rats in serumlevels of Ca2+, but Ca2+ levels for the normal group was higher than for the other two groups. The C. japonicum extractincreased both serum IGFs and IGFBP-3 levels on induced osteoporotic rat by ovariectomized. Thus, these results revealedthat the C. japonicum extract is a possible role for improvement of osteoporosis induced-ovariectomized rats and has a greatpotential as an alternative tool for the treatment of osteoporosis.

In this study we investigated the effects of supplementation with fucoidan from brown alga on the function of natural-killer (NK) cells to evaluate the possibility as an immunomodulator in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. A total of 18 female Wistar rats (six weeks) were used this study and 12 rats were OVX, and the rest of rats were sham-operated. The sham and one OVX group were fed standard diet, and the remaining OVX group received fucoidan (0.05% supplemented diet). After 12 weeks of supplementation, rats were sacrificed to assess the tumoricidal activity of the NK cells and the NO-iNOS regulation from splenocytes. The mass of body and the immune organs such as spleen and thymus were also studied. In OVX rats, body and thymus weights increased, however fucoidan supplementation did not change the body mass and organs weight compared to OVX group. Fucoidan supplementation increased NK cell activity and reduced NO-iNOS production in OVX rats. Ex vivo treatment of fucoidan increased NK cell activity in splenocytes from shame and OVX rats. Ex vivo, we confirmed that fucoidan partially reduced the NK cell activity in the presence of iNOS inhibitors in OVX-splenocytes. These results indicate fucoidan supplementation has a NK cell tumoricidal activity, which are regulated by the iNOS production in OVX rats. This suggests that fucoidan is useful for potential therapeutic strategies as a nutrient in regulating the NK cells in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients.

Soy isoflavones have been suggested to improve bone loss and lipid profile in postmenopausal women and ovariectomized rats. In present study, we investigated the hypothesis that consumption of soybean, mung bean, cowpea and azuki bean has a beneficial effect on lipid profile which associates with bone mass in ovariectomized rats. Forty two female Sprague-Dawley rats were either sham-operated (Sham) or surgically ovariectomized (OVX). Sham and OVX groups were fed a regular AIN-93M diet, but ovariectomized rats with soybean (OS), mung bean (OM), cowpea (OC) or adzuki bean (OA) were fed AIN-93M diet replacing 35% of corn starch with powdered OS, OM, OC or OA for 10 weeks. Total- and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in Sham and OC groups than other OVX groups. There was significant negative association between total cholesterol concentration and bone mineral density (BMD) of tibia in only OC group. In conclusion, total-cholesterol concentration was significantly and negatively correlated with BMD in rats consumed cowpea, suggesting that the reduced cholesterol concentration may have a beneficial effect on bone mass.

포유동물에서 뇌와 부신에서 합성ㆍ분비되는 카테콜아민(Catecholamine, CA)계 신경전달물질인 dopamine(DA), norepinephrine(NE), epinephrine(E)은 체내 각종 생리현상의 조절에 필수적이며, 생식과 관련된 기능으로는 시상하부와 뇌하수체 사이의 GnRH-gonadotropin 호르몬 축의 활성을 조절함 외에도 번식과 연관된 여러 행동양식을 조절함이 잘 알려져 있다. 본 연구는 카테콜아민 생합성 효소인 tyrosin