The Mechanism of the Yigutang-Mediated P13K/AKT/GSK-3β Signal Pathway to Regulate Osteogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Stromal Stem Cells to Treat Osteoporosis

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Yigutang mediating the P13K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway to regulate the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells to treat osteoporosis (OP). METHODS: Sixty 12-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, Yigutang group, and estrogen group, with 15 cases in each group. In the model group, Yigutang group, and estrogen group, the ovaries on both sides were removed to construct the model, and the bone mineral density (BMD) of the upper metaphysis of the right femur of the rats in each group was detected. The left femur of each group of rats was removed, and the load-deformation curve of the left femur of each group of rats was calculated. The number of osteoblasts was observed by H&E staining. After extracting the right femurs of rats in each group, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of genes and proteins related to the P13K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway. RESULTS: The BMD of the upper metaphysis of the right femur in the Yigutang group and the estrogen group was significantly higher than that of the model group (P < 0.05), while both Yigutang and estrogen groups had no significant difference compared with the normal group (P > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference between the Yigutang group and the estrogen group (P > 0.05). The elastic load and maximum load of the Yigutang group and the estrogen group were significantly higher than the model group (P < 0.05), but both were lower than the normal group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the Yigutang group and the estrogen group (P > 0.05). The number of osteoblasts in the Yigutang group and the estrogen group was significantly higher than the model group (P < 0.05), but both were lower than the normal group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the Yigutang group and the estrogen group (P > 0.05). The P13K gene expression in the right femoral bone tissue of rats in the Yigutang group and the estrogen group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P < 0.05), and the AKT gene expression did not change significantly (P > 0.05). The gene expression of GSK-3β was significantly lower than that of the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, the gene expression of P13K, AKT, and GSK-3β in the right femur bone tissue of the Yigutang group and the estrogen group did not change significantly (P > 0.05). The protein expression of P13K and P-AKt in the right femoral bone tissue of rats in the Yigutang group and the estrogen group was significantly higher than that of the model group (P < 0.05), and the protein expression of AKT did not change significantly (P > 0.05). The protein expression of GSK-3β was significantly lower than the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, the protein expression of P13K, AKT, P-AKt, and GSK-3β in the right femoral bone tissue of the Yigutang group and the estrogen group did not change significantly (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yigutang can regulate the differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells into osteoblasts, which may be achieved by regulating the P13K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway.