Effect of Taohong Siwu decoction on microstructure of femoral head in rabbits with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head

CHEN Xiaobo; CHEN Leilei; HONG Guoju; CHEN Da; YANG Peng; HE Wei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-266X.2017.32.002

Abstract：Objective To observe the effect of Taohong Siwu decoction on the microstructure of femoral head in rabbits with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SIONFH) and to explore its possible mechanism.Methods Fifty healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into the model group (n=20), observation group (n=20), and normal control group (n=10).The SIONFH models in the model group and the observation group were established.After establishment, rabbits in the observation group were given the mixture of Taohong Siwu decoction by gavage.The rabbits in the model group and normal control group were given equal volume of normal saline, once a day, for 12 weeks.At the end of 12 weeks of gavage, high-resolution magnetic resonance (HRMR) was performed in each group to calculate coronal necrotic area (ROE), normal area (NR), and ROE/NR.The rabbits were sacrificed to obtain the bilateral femoral heads.The left femur was scanned by Micro-CT system.The parameters such as, tissue volume (TV), bone volume (BV), bone surface area (BS) connection density (Conn.D.), structural model index (SMI), number of trabecular bone (Tb.N), trabecular bone thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular bone separation (Tb.Sp) were recorded, and BV/TV and BS/BV were calculated.The protein expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), osteopontin (OPN), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (ABCB1), NF-κB receptor activating factor (RANK), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor κB receptor activator ligand (RANKL) in the right femur tissues were measured by Western blotting.Results The ROE and ROE/NR in the model group were higher than those in the observation group and normal control group, and NR was lower than that in the observation group and normal control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).The levels of BS/BV and Tb.Sp in the model group were significantly higher than those in the observation group and the normal control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).The levels of Conn.D.and Tb.N of the model group were lower than those in the observation group and the normal control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).The level of BV/TV in the observation group and model group was lower than that in the normal control group, and the level of Tb.Th in the model group was lower than that of the normal control group (both P<0.05).The protein expression levels of ABCB1, OPG, and VEGF in the model group were lower than those in the observation group and the normal control group;the protein expression levels of RANK and RANKL in the model group were higher than those in the observation group and the normal control group (all P<0.05).The relative expression of RUNX2 protein in the femoral head tissues of the model group and the observation group was higher than that of the normal control group, and the observation group was more obvious (P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the relative protein expression of OPN and PPARγ between the three groups (both P>0.05).Conclusion Taohong Siwu decoction can improve the number and density of trabecular bone in femoral head of SIONFH rabbits, improve its microstructure, and promote the repair of necrotic tissues by promoting osteogenesis, increasing the expression of vascular growth factor, inhibiting osteoporosis, and decreasing the expression of lipid factor.