Liuwei Dihuang Pill () Treats Postmenopausal Osteoporosis with Shen (Kidney) Yin Deficiency via Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Signal Pathway by Up-regulating Cardiotrophin-Like Cytokine Factor 1 Expression

To investigate the mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Pill (, LDP) in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) with Shen (Kidney) yin deficiency. In this study, 205 cases of PMOP were divided into the PMOP Shen-yin deficiency group (Group A), PMOP Shen-yang deficiency group (Group B), PMOP without Shen deficiency group (Group C), and control group (Group N). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot techniques were used to observe the effects of LDP treatment on the cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1 (CLCF1), ankyrin repeat and SOCS box containing 1 (ASB1), and prokineticin 2 (PROK2) genes and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. The mRNA (P < 0.05) and protein (P < 0.01) expression levels of the CLCF1 gene in Group A were significantly lower than the corresponding levels in Group N. After LDP treatment for 3 months, the mRNA expression levels of the CLCF1 gene were obviously up-regulated (P < 0.01). After 6-month treatment, the expression levels of CLCF1 mRNA and protein were significantly up-regulated (both P < 0.01), and the average bone density of the top femur had significantly increased (P < 0.05). In vitro, CLCF1 overexpression resulted in a significant increase in the total protein and phosphorylated protein levels of JAK2 and STAT3. The CLCF1 gene is an important gene associated with PMOP Shen-yin deficiency and the therapeutic effects of LDP may be mediated by up-regulation of CLCF1 gene expression and activation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.