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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Alkaline Phosphatase, Animals, Anthracenes, Bone Density Conservation Agents, Cell Differentiation, Cell Proliferation, Collagen Type I, Drugs, Chinese Herbal, Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases, Flavonoids, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Imidazoles, JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases, Male, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Osteoblasts, Osteocalcin, Osteogenesis, Osteopontin, Phosphorylation, Primary Cell Culture, Protein Kinase Inhibitors, Pyridines, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Signal Transduction, p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases.
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Does icariin induce osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells in a MAPK-dependent manner? Context: Icariin, a flavonoid isolated from Epimedium pubescens, has previously been identified to exert beneficial effects on preventing bone loss and promoting bone regeneration. However, molecular mechanisms for its anabolic action have, up to now, remained largely unknown. Effects of icariin on cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were systematically evaluated. To characterize underlying mechanisms, its effects on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways were determined. Results showed that icariin might not have enhanced effects on cell proliferation. However, it seemed to significantly enhance osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, demonstrated by increasing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and gene expression of collagen type I (Col I), osteocalcin (OCN) and osteopotin (OPN). It was demonstrated that icariin rapidly phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 kinase and c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, icariin-stimulated osteogenic effects on BMSCs were dramatically attenuated by treatment with either specific ERK inhibitor of PD98059, p38 inhibitor of SB202190 or JNK inhibitor SP600125.
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These results provide a potential mechanism of anabolic activity of icariin on BMSCs involving ERK, p38 and JNK MAPK pathways. Final Decision: yes