Bushen Qiangji Granule (补肾强脊颗粒) medicated serum inhibits osteogenic differentiation of fibroblasts in ankylosing spondylitis by inhibiting the BMP/Smads signal pathway in vitro

• Published in: Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2016-11, Vol.22 (11), p.817-822
• Main Authors: Liu, Hong-xiao, Jiang, Nan, Liang, Hui-ying, Zhou, Ying-yan, Feng, Xing-hua, Feng, Xiao-yan, Zhang, He-qiu, Wu, Zhi-kui, Jiang, Quan, Fu, Jiao, Ma, Xiao-juan, Chen, Peng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - metabolism; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit - genetics; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit - metabolism; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Fibroblasts - pathology; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Original Article; Osteogenesis - drug effects; Osteogenesis - genetics; Phosphorylation - drug effects; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Serum - metabolism; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Smad Proteins - metabolism; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - genetics; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - pathology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1672-0415; 1993-0402
• DOI: 10.1007/s11655-016-2268-9

Objective To explore the mechanism of Bushen Qiangji Granule (补肾强脊颗粒, BSQJ) in restraining the osteogenic differentiation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) fifibroblasts. Methods Hip joint capsules were obtained from AS patients ( n =10) receiving total hip replacement and healthy hip joint capsules from patients with hip fracture ( n =10) receiving surgery as a control. Finite fifibroblast lines were established from these tissue samples to observe the effect of BSQJ on suppressing osteogenic differentiation of fifibroblasts. The expression of osteogenic marker gene corebinding factor a1 (Cbfa1) and Smad family proteins were examined by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results The mRNA expression level of Cbfa1 was significantly higher in AS fibroblasts than that in normal fibroblasts and the expression of pSmad1, pSmad5, Smad4 and Cbfa1 in AS fibroblasts was also higher, demonstrating the activation of the BMP/Smads signal pathway in AS fifibroblasts. BSQJ-medicated serum not only restrained the mRNA and protein expression levels of Cbfa1 and inhibited protein expression level of Smad4 but also decreased the expression quantities of pSmad1 and pSmad5. Conclusions BSQJ can inhibit osteogenic differentiation of AS fifibroblasts in vitro by suppressing the activation of the BMP/Smads signal pathway. This may be the important molecular mechanism of BSQJ in regulating AS ossifification.