Tetrahydroberberine\nPrevents Ovariectomy-Induced Bone\nLoss by Inhibiting RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis and Promoting\nOsteoclast Apoptosis

Postmenopausal\nosteoporosis (PMOP) arises from the disruption\nin\nbone remodeling caused by estrogen deficiency, leading to a heightened\nsusceptibility to osteoporotic fractures in aging women. Tetrahydroberberine\n(THB) is a chemical compound extracted from Corydalis\nyanhusuo, a member of the traditional Chinese medicine\nseries “Zhejiang eight taste”, possessing a variety\nof pharmacological functions such as lowering lipids and preventing\nmuscle atrophy. However, the impact of THB on PMOP has not been systematically\nexplored. In vitro experiments supported that THB suppresses osteoclast\nformation and resorption of bone concentration-dependently. Further\nexperiments confirmed that these inhibitory effects of THB were related\nto inhibition on expressions of osteoclast-specific genes, the mitogen-activated\nprotein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)\npathway and an increased apoptosis level in mature osteoclasts. Additionally,\nTHB treatment mitigated the ovariectomy-induced bone loss and improved\nthe skeletal microarchitecture in vivo. In conclusion, THB has such\npotential to improve the PMOP status.