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BACKGROUND: Liuwei Dihuang Wan takes “three tonifying and three reducing effects” as its compatibility feature to nourish yin and tonify the kidneys, while Zuogui Wan takes “seeking yin in yang” as its compatibility feature to nourish yin and tonify the kidneys by promoting yang. Both of them belong to the same method of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys, and have better curative effects at the symptomatic and cellular molecular levels. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Liuwei Dihuang Wan and Zuogui Wan in bone metabolism, and to explore their mechanism of action in the osteoprotegerin (OPG)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) osteoblastic pathway. METHODS: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into model, Liuwei Dihuang Wan, Zuogui Wan, and sham operation group, with eight rats in each group. Osteoporosis models were prepared using removal of both ovaries in the first three groups. Starting at 30 days postoperatively, rats in the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group were gavaged with Liuwei Dihuang Wan 1.125 g/kg/d; rats in the Zuoqui Wan group were gavaged with Zuogui Wan 2.25 g/kg/d; and rats in the sham operation group and the model group were gavaged with saline 10 mL/kg/d. After 12 weeks of gavage, the rat tibia was taken to measure bone mineral density. The serum levels of estrogen, bone alkaline phosphatase, and cAMP/cGMP were measured using ELISA, and the expression of OPG/RANKL in the femur was detected using western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the sham operation group, the model group showed a decrease in bone mineral density and levels of estrogen and bone alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.05) and an increase in cAMP/cGMP level (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group and the Zuogui Wan group significantly increased bone mineral density (P < 0.05) and bone alkaline phosphatase levels (P < 0.05); the Zuogui Wan group significantly decreased cAMP/cGMP levels (P < 0.05) and upregulated OPG expression (P < 0.05); the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group upregulated OPG expression and downregulated RANKL expression (P < 0.05); and both groups were unable to significantly increase estrogen levels (P > 0.05). To conclude, Zuogui Wan, which seeks yin from yang, can effectively increase the expression of OPG but cannot downregulate the expression of RANKL. However, Liuwei Dihuang Wan, which has three tonifying and three reducing effects, can bidirectionally regulate the expression of OPG and RANKL. This result suggests that Liuwei Dihuang Wan can significantly inhibit osteoclastic function compared with Zuogui Wan, and further research is needed to verify this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis is the property of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis is the property of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis is the property of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis is the property of Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Fuzhou University is the property of Journal of Fuzhou University, Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)