Naringin Stimulates Osteogenic Differentiation of Rat Bone Marrow Stromal Cells via Activation of the Notch Signaling Pathway.

Naringin is a major flavonoid found in grapefruit and is an active compound extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Rhizoma Drynariae. Naringin is a potent stimulator of osteogenic differentiation and has potential application in preventing bone loss. However, the signaling pathway underlying its osteogenic effect remains unclear. We hypothesized that the osteogenic activity of naringin involves the Notch signaling pathway. Rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were cultured in osteogenic medium containing-naringin, with or without DAPT (an inhibitor of Notch signaling), the effects on ALP activity, calcium deposits, osteogenic genes (ALP, BSP, and cbfa1), adipogenic maker gene PPARγ2 levels, and Notch expression were examined. We found that naringin dose-dependently increased ALP activity and Alizarin red S staining, and treatment at the optimal concentration (50 μg/mL) increased mRNA levels of osteogenic genes and Notch1 expression, while decreasing PPARγ2 mRNA levels. Furthermore, treatment with DAPT partly reversed effects of naringin on BMSCs, as judged by decreases in naringin-induced ALP activity, calcium deposits, and osteogenic genes expression, as well as upregulation of PPARγ2 mRNA levels. These results suggest that the osteogenic effect of naringin partly involves the Notch signaling pathway.

1. Introduction

Osteoporosis is becoming increasingly prevalent due to demographic changes and longer life expectancies. In particular, postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most widespread form of osteoporosis, affecting one in two women over the age of sixty. Although hormone replacement therapy has been the most commonly used therapeutic for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, the Women's Health Initiative reported that the health risks of hormone replacement therapy exceed its benefits [1]. The use of bisphosphonates has also been used to treat osteoporosis [2]. However, the potential bone-forming agents in bisphosphonates can have serious side-effects and may not yield the expected improvements in the bone quality and bone union ratio [3], and the cost effectiveness of their widespread or long-term use has been questioned. In addition, despite the availability of an armamentarium of agents, finding the optimal agent remains a challenge [4]. Therefore, more and more people have turned to, or are searching for, alternative or natural therapies for osteoporosis [5].

Naringin is a major flavonoid found in grapefruit and an active compound extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Rhizoma Drynariae [6]. Studies have shown that naringin possesses many beneficial pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anticancer activities in various animal disease models [7], estrogen-like activities in rat UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells [8], and in particular improves the bone mass of retinoic acid-induced [9] or ovariectomy-induced osteoporosisin rats [10, 11]. In addition, naringin increases proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the MC3T3-E1 osteogenic precursor cell line [12] and inhibits osteoclast formation and bone resorption, suggesting that naringin offers a beneficial alternative for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis [13, 14]. Furthermore, a number of studies have shown naringin plays a significant role in proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs [11, 15], which can differentiate into osteoblasts. In human mesenchymal stem cells, naringin promotes osteogenic differentiation through miR-20a and PPARγ [16]. However, the mechanism of naringin on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs remains unknown.

Notch receptors, a family of transmembrane proteins, control various cell functions, including proliferation, differentiation, and cell-fate decisions [17]. The activation of Notch receptors, following cognate interaction with jagged, delta-like family ligands, are cleaved by membrane-bound γ-secretase, followed by nuclear entry of the Notch intracellular domain. This in turn activates transcription of target genes, such as hairy enhancer of split (HES) and Hes family-related genes [18]. Although Notch signaling was first identified in fly neurogenesis [17], additional evidence highlights the importance of Notch signaling in other systems, including tumor formation, glucose metabolism, and bone formation [19]. The Notch signaling pathway is activated during osteogenic differentiation of dental follicle cells and regulates BMP2/DLX3-directed differentiation of dental follicle cells via a negative feedback loop [20]. Here, we hypothesize that the osteogenic effects of naringin are related to the Notch signaling pathway. In the current study, we found that naringin stimulates osteogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs via activation of the Notch signaling pathway.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Animals

Four-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were purchased from the Experimental Animal Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China, and were housed under environmentally controlled conditions (22°C, a 12-h light/dark cycle with a light cycle from 6:00 to 18:00 hours and a dark cycle from 18:00 to 6:00 hours) with ad libitum access to standard laboratory chow. The local Institution Review Board approved the study protocol, and all animal experiments were performed according to the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Shantou University Medical College.

2.2. Chemicals and Reagents

Naringin (from citrus fruit, chemical purity ≥ 98.0%) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO) and was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Culture media (DMEM/F12) and fetal bovine serum (FBS) were purchased from Invitrogen (Grand Island, NY, USA). Penicillin and streptomycin were obtained from Gibco BRL (Gaithersburg, MD, USA). A majority of the drugs were purchased from Sigma (Steinheim, Germany), including cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), Alizarin red S, dexamethasone, β-glycerophosphate, and ascorbic acid phosphate. Kits for measurement of alkaline phosphatase were purchased from Nanjing Jiancheng Company (Nanjing, China). The CCK-8 cell counting kit was purchased from Xingzhi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Guangdong, China).

2.3. Cell Culture and Treatments

Primary culture of BMSCs, obtained from three random four-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats, was established as described previously [21]. Briefly, tibias and femurs were immediately removed from euthanized rats, and the attached muscles and tissues were removed using aseptic technique. The ends of the bones were removed, and marrow plugs were flushed out by injecting basal medium (as control: DMEM/F12 medium containing 10% heat-inactivated FBS, 1% penicillin, and streptomycin). A suspension of single bone marrow cells from the tibias and femurs was obtained by gentle pipetting in a 10 cm petri dish. Cells were then counted with a hemacytometer and 15 mL, of a 1 × 106 cells/mL cell suspension, was inoculated into a culture flask. Cells were maintained in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2 and 95% air at 37°C. Cells were detached using 1 mM EDTA and 0.25% trypsin at 80% confluence and then subcultured. Cells (passages 3–6) were subcultured or plated for subsequent experiments.

2.4. Osteogenic Differentiation Protocol and Differentiation Assays

For osteogenic differentiation, BMSCs were inoculated at approximately 1 × 104 cells/cm2 on culture dishes and induced in osteogenic induction medium (OIM: DMEM/F12, 0.1 μM dexamethasone, 50 μM ascorbic acid, and 10 mM sodium β-glycerophosphate) with or without naringin (final concentration at 1, 10, and 50 μg/mL). To examine the involvement of the Notch signaling pathway in naringin action, BMSCs under OIM were stimulated to differentiate by addition of 50 μg/mL naringin in the presence or absence of 10 μM DAPT, a Notch inhibitor. DAPT was dissolved in DMSO and was freshly diluted to the desired concentration with culture medium. The final concentration of DMSO was 0.05% (v/v). Differentiation was evaluated by measuring ALP activity and mineralization.

2.5. Assessment of Proliferation by CCK-8 Assay

Cells (1 × 104 per well) were plated in a 96-well plate and cultured in basal medium for 24 h. Then cells were treated with basal medium or basal medium containing-naringin at a concentration of 1, 10, 50, or 100 μg/mL, and cell proliferation was determined after 12–96 hours using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay as instructed by the manufacturer. Absorbance was measured at 450 nm using a microplate reader (Thermo Scientific, Beijing, China). Cell proliferation was expressed as the optical density (OD) value.

2.6. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) Assay

ALP activity is an early phase marker of bone formation. BMSCs were cultured in basal medium or osteogenesis was induced by culture in OIM, with or without naringin for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days; then ALP activity was determined as previously described [22]. Cells were lysed by sonication in 0.5 mL of 10 nM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5) containing 0.1% Triton X-100. Absorbance was measured at 520 nm using a microtiter plate reader (KHB Labsystems Wellscan K3, Finland). Total protein concentrations were determined by the Bradford protein assay method and ALP activity was normalized to total protein.

2.7. Calcium Deposit Analysis

On day 21, medium was removed and the cells were fixed with 70% ice-cold ethanol (v/v) for 10 min and rinsed thoroughly with distilled water. Cultures were then stained with 40 mM Alizarin red S in deionized water (pH 4.2) for 10 min at room temperature. After removing Alizarin red S solution by aspiration, cells were rinsed with fresh PBS and dried at room temperature. Calcium deposits were evaluated using the cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) method. Alizarin red S concentrations were calculated by comparison with an Alizarin red S dye standard curve and expressed as nmol/mL [22].

2.8. Real-Time Quantitative PCR

BMSCs were cultured for 14 days and then washed with PBS. Total RNA was extracted using Trizol reagent (Dongsheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangdong, China) according to the protocol from the supplier. First-strand cDNA synthesis was carried out using a High Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kit (TaKaRa). Real-time quantitative PCR was then performed using SYBR PreMix Ex TaqTM (TaKaRa) and a CFX96TM Real-time PCR Detection System (Applied Biosystems). PCR conditions and the sequences of primers are listed in Table 1 for the genes encoding the following proteins: alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone sialoprotein (BSP), core-binding factor a1 (cbfa1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARγ2), and β-actin. Gene expression was calculated using 2−ΔΔCt method and normalized against β-actin. PCR was performed at 95°C for 30 s, followed by 40 cycles of 5 s at 95°C and 30 s at 56°C. PCR was run in triplicate, and at least three times independently.

Table 1

PCR primer sequences and cycling conditions.

Gene and GenBank accession number	Primer sequence (forward/reverse)	Temperature (°C)	Product size (bp)
ALP (J03572)	5′-TCCGTGGGTCGGATTCCT-3′	58.0	280
	5′-GCCGGCCCAAGAGAGAA-3′
BSP (NM_012587)	5′-GCTATGAAGGCTACGAGGGTCAGGATTAT-3′	59.1	386
	5′-GGGTATGTTAGGGTGGTTAGCAATGGTGT-3′
Cbfa1 (AF053950)	5′-CCTCACAAACAACCACAGAAC CA-3′	60	325
	5′-AACTGA AAATACAAA CCATACCC-3′
PPARγ2 (NM_013124)	5′-ATCCCGTTCACAAGAGCTGA-3′	54.8	177
	5′-GCAGGCTCTACTTTGATCGC-3′
β-actin (NM_031144)	5′-ATCGTGGGCCGCCCTAGGCA-3′	61.0	260
	5′-TGGCCTTAGGGTTCAGAGGGG-3′

Note: ALP, alkaline phosphatase; BSP, bone sialoprotein; Cbfa1, core-binding factor a1; PPARγ2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2; β-actin.

2.9. Western Blotting Assays

Total cellular lysates were prepared using RIPA lysis buffer (Boster, Wuhan, China) following the manufacturer's instructions. Immunoblotting was carried out as previously described [23], and anti-Notch1 antibodies were used for the procedure (Abcam, UK). Protein bands were visualized using a SuperSignal Western Blotting Kit (Pierce, Rockford, IL). Densitometric analysis was performed using Quantity One Software v4.62 (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA). β-actin was used as a loading control.

2.10. Statistical Analyses

All experiments were performed at least in triplicate, and one representative set was chosen to be shown. All data are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) and analyzed using SPSS 17.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls's test was performed to reveal differences among groups. A probability (P) value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

3. Results

3.1. Naringin Enhances BMSCs Proliferation

CCK-8 assays were performed on BMSCs, cultured under basal medium or basal medium with or without naringin at a series of concentrations, to determine whether naringin can affect proliferation. Naringin at 1, 10, and 50 μg/mL caused a dose and time-dependent increase in the proliferation of BMSCs. Naringin at 50 μg/mL caused a statistically significant increase in the growth of BMSCs at hours 24 to 72, as compared to controls (P < 0.01 or 0.05). Naringin at a higher dose (100 μg/mL), by contrast, markedly depressed the proliferation of BMSCs (Figure 1(a)). The proliferation of the cells treated with 100 μg/mL naringin was decreased compared with control. Thus, naringin concentrations did not exceed 50 μg/mL for the remaining experiments.

Figure 1

Naringin potentiates proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. (a) BMSCs were cultured in basal medium with or without various doses of naringin (1, 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL) for 12–96 hours, and the proliferation rate was assessed by CCK-8 assay. Cell proliferation of BMSCs was enhanced by naringin treatment. Naringin showed the most prominent stimulatory effect on proliferation at 50 μg/mL. Data is expressed as mean ± SD. Experiments were done in quadruplicate (n = 4). P < 0.01 versus the control group; # P < 0.05 versus the control group at same time point. (b) BMSCs were cultured in basal medium with or without various doses of naringin (1, 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL) for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 4). ALP activity was measured by the manufacturer's instructions. a P < 0.05 versus the control group at the same time point; b P < 0.01 versus the OIM group at the same time point; c P < 0.05 versus the 1 μg/mL group at the same time point; d P < 0.01 versus the 10 μg/mL group at the same time point. (c) BMSCs were cultured in basal medium and OIM with or without various doses of naringin (1, 10, and 50 μg/mL) for 21 days; then calcium deposits were stained with Alizarin red S solution. For quantitative analysis, the stained samples underwent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) extraction (10% CPC) and extracts were measured by spectrophotometry. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 5). P < 0.01 versus the OIM group; P < 0.05 versus the 1 μg/mL group; P < 0.01 versus the 10 μg/mL group. (e) BMSCs were cultured in basal medium, OIM, or OIM with 1 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, or 50 μg/mL naringin for 14 days, and then ALP, BSP, Cbfa1, and PPARγ2 mRNA levels were measured by RT-PCR. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 5). a P < 0.05 versus the control group; b P < 0.05 versus the OIM group; c P < 0.01 versus the 1 μg/mL group; d P < 0.01 versus the 10 μg/mL group.

3.2. Naringin Enhances Osteogenic Differentiation in a Dose-Dependent Manner

Prior to investigating the signaling pathways involved in naringin-mediated enhancement of osteogenic differentiation, the optimal concentration of naringin on osteogenic activity was determined. ALP activity and Alizarin red S staining were increased by being treated with naringin in a dose-dependent manner, with significant enhancement at 1 μg/mL, and maximal enhancement at 50 μg/mL. (Figures 1(b), 1(c), and 1(d)).

We further investigated the expression of genes involved in osteogenesis in BMSCs under OIM with or without naringin for 14 days. Real-time PCR assays showed that osteogenic genes (ALP, BSP, and core-binding factor a1) in BMSCs were significantly upregulated (P < 0.01) by naringin treatment. On the other hand, naringin caused a reduction in the PPARγ2 mRNA transcript levels (Figure 1(e)).

3.3. Naringin Enhances Osteogenesis of BMSCs by Activating the Notch Pathway

To further examine the mechanisms whereby naringin potentiated the osteogenesis of BMSCs, we treated cells with the Notch inhibitor, DAPT, to investigate if the Notch pathway is associated with the enhancement of osteogenesis by naringin. We found that, compared with OIM alone, 50 μg/mL naringin in OIM markedly increases ALP activity, calcium deposits, and osteogenesis-related gene transcript levels and conversely inhibited PPARγ2 gene expression. On the other hand, DAPT treatment markedly attenuated the biological effects of naringin on BMSCs (Figures 2(a), 2(b), 2(c), and 2(d)). These findings suggest that the Notch signaling pathway could play a critical role in naringin-enhanced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by modulating the expression of multiple genes involved in osteogenesis. To further investigate whether naringin potentiated osteogenesis of BMSCs via the Notch signaling pathway, we examined Notch1 protein levels by western blot analysis using antibodies against Notch1. Notch1 became activated in BMSCs under osteogenic induction, which was further enhanced by naringin, as evidenced by increased levels of Notch1. DAPT could markedly attenuate naringin-enhanced Notch1 expression (Figures 2(e) and 2(f)). Taken together, these results suggest that naringin-potentiated osteogenesis involves enhancing the expressing of Notch signaling pathways.

Figure 2

Involvement of Notch signaling in naringin-enhanced osteogenesis of BMSCs. (a) Effects of naringin on ALP activity of BMSCs cultured in OIM or OIM containing 50 μg/mL naringin with or without 10 μM DAPT, for 1–9 days. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 4). a P < 0.01 versus the OIM group; b P < 0.01 versus the 50 μg/mL naringin group at the same time point. (b) Alizarin red S staining shows that DAPT inhibited naringin-enhanced mineralization of BMSCs. (c) Quantification and statistical analysis of calcium deposits. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 5). P < 0.01 versus the OIM group; P < 0.01 versus the 50 μg/mL group. (d) BMSCs were cultured in OIM or OIM containing 50 μg/mL naringin with or without 10 μM DAPT, for 14 days. Expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes and PPARγ2 were measured by RT-PCR. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 5). a P < 0.01 versus the OIM group; b P < 0.05 versus the 50 μg/mL group. (e) Western blot analysis of Notch1. BMSCs were cultured in OIM or OIM containing 50 μg/mL naringin with or without 10 μM DAPT for 14 days. (f) Band density in the western blots was quantified by densitometry. Data represent the mean ± SD (n = 4). P < 0.01 versus the OIM group; # P < 0.05 versus the 50 μg/mL naringin group.

4. Discussion

Osteoporosis is a common disease characterized by reduced bone formation due to impaired osteoblastic differentiation and increased in bone resorption by elevated osteoclast function [23]. It is well established that BMSCs differentiate into a variety of cell types, including osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, neurons, and myoblasts [24, 25]. BMSCs from osteoporotic women have a low growth rate and exhibit reduced differentiation into the osteogenic linage, as evidenced by the ALP activity and calcium phosphate deposition [26]. Therefore, enhancement of BMSC osteogenesis is an excellent strategy for osteoporosis [27].

Previous studies have demonstrated naringin administration is able to reduce bone resorption [13, 28, 29], can prevent bone loss, and promotes osteoclast apoptosis in rat osteoporosis models [11, 15, 28]. Naringin exerting needless estrogenic effects, since the uterine weight in ovariectomized rats is not obviously changed by naringin treatment [11, 13]. Recent studies have shown that naringin, as a phytoestrogen, shows estrogenic activities, at low concentrations, and antiestrogenic activities at high concentrations [30]. Naringin exerts estrogen-like activities to strengthen bone mass of ovariectomized mice [8, 31] and has lower toxicity and fewer negative side effects than other drugs used to treat osteoporosis [10]. Naringin also has been shown to be a potent stimulator of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro [11, 15]. In the present study, we show that naringin dose-dependently promotes proliferation and potentiates the osteogenesis of BMSCs. Thus naringin is a promising candidate for osteoporosis treatment.

The mechanisms whereby naringin promotes osteogenesis of BMSCs have remained undefined. BMSCs are considered as the most suitable cell source for osteoblasts due to their superior osteogenic potential [32]. In this study, naringin increases both ALP activity and the expression of osteoblast-related gene markers in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the formation of calcified nodules, another specific characteristic of osteoblastic differentiation, is also increased by naringin treatment. Our results are consistent with a prior report, by Fan et al., who reported that naringin decreases protein expression levels of PPARγ and promotes differentiation of BMSCs [16]. PPARγ is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily known for its anti-inflammatory and macrophage-differentiating effects, as well as an ability to promote fat cell differentiation, reduce insulin resistance, and contribute to glucose homeostasis [33, 34]. High glucose levels induce osteoblast apoptosis, by activating the p38MAPK/AP-1 signaling pathway, and inhibit osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs [35, 36]. Although our study does not investigate glucose metabolism, our study indicates that suppression of PPARγ2 activity, in response to enhanced osteogenesis, can be associated with lowered glucose levels.

Our demonstration that naringin promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via enhancing Notch signal pathway activation is consistent with a previous study showing that Notch family members positively regulate the differentiation of osteoblasts, and that Notch could be an interesting target molecule for the treatment of osteoporosis [37]. However, others have shown contradictory observations regarding Notch signaling and osteogenic differentiation [28, 38–40]. The effect of Notch signaling on osteogenic gene induction appears to be dependent upon the cell line studied and the cell culture conditions used [19]. DAPT, as a γ-secretase inhibitor, prevents the cleavage of the Notch receptor and blocks the Notch signaling pathway [41, 42]. In the present study, we show that naringin also enhances the expression level of Notch1. Conversely, treatment with the Notch inhibitor, DAPT, caused partial reduction of naringin-induced expression level of Notch1. Similarly, the naringin-mediated upregulation of ALP activity, calcium deposits, and osteogenesis gene mRNA transcript levels, as well as downregulation of PPARγ2 mRNA, was blocked by DAPT. Our results together suggest that naringin promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through activation of the Notch signaling pathway.

5. Conclusions

In summary, our study shows that naringin potentiates the osteogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs, as reflected by increased ALP activity, enhanced mineralization, upregulated osteogenesis gene mRNAs, and downregulated PPARγ2 gene mRNA transcript levels. We further demonstrate that naringin enhanced Notch1 in BMSCs under osteogenic induction. Our findings shed light on the mechanisms of how naringin potentiates the osteogenesis of rat BMSCs.