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8-Prenylkaempferol accelerates osteoblast maturation through bone morphogenetic protein-2/p38 pathway to activate
Wen-Fei Chiou1, Chia-Hsin Lee, Jyh-Fei Liao
1National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. wfchiou@nricm.edu.tw
Aims:
In this study, we investigated the effect of 8-prenylkaempferol (8-PK), a prenyl-flavonoid isolated from Sophora flavescens, on osteoblast differentiation and maturation.
Main Methods:
MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to 8-PK and the cytotoxicity was assayed. Osteoblast differentiation and maturation were evaluated by analyzing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell mineralization, respectively. RT-PCR and Western blot were executed to determine the effects of 8-PK on osteoblast differentiation-related gene expression and signaling pathway.
Key Findings:
8-PK significantly promoted ALP activity, up-regulated mRNA expressions of osteocalcin, osteopontin, and type I collagen, and induced bone nodules formation. Induction of differentiation by 8-PK was associated with increased bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 expression, and sequentially up-regulated the phosphorylations of Smad1/5/8 and p38, and increased the nuclear translocation of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). Addition of BMP-2 antagonist noggin blocked 8-PK and recombinant mouse BMP-2-induced ALP activity, reconfirming that BMP-2 production is required in 8-PK-mediated osteoblast differentiation. Noggin also abrogated 8-PK evoked phosphorylations of Smad1/5/8 and p38, suggesting that BMP-2 signaling is required for p38 activation in 8-PK-treated cells. Application of p38 inhibitor SB203580 repressed not only 8-PK-mediated activation of ALP, but also the nuclear translocation of Runx2 and bone nodules formation.
Significance:
The present results suggested that BMP-2/p38/Runx2 pathways were involved in 8-PK-induced differentiation/maturation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and firstly demonstrated that 8-PK might be a promising agent for inducing osteogenesis.
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