Abstract
Osteoporosis is a major health problem in the elderly. Almost every bone can fracture due to the increased bone fragility in osteoporosis, posing a major challenge to public health. 12-Deoxyphorbol-13-hexadecanoate (DHD), one of the main bioactive components of Stellera chamaejasme L. (Lang Du), is considered to have antitumor, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. However, the role of DHD in osteoporosis is still elusive. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that DHD inhibits the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in a dose- and time-dependent manner without exhibiting cytotoxicity in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that DHD not only represses the expression of osteoclasts marker genes by suppressing RANKL-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and calcium signaling pathways but also scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) through enhancing cytoprotective enzymes expression. Furthermore, DHD inhibits the activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1) during RANKL-induced osteoclasts formation. Preclinical studies revealed that DHD protects against bone loss in ovariectomy (OVX) mice. In sum, our data confirmed that DHD could potentially inhibit osteoclastogenesis by abrogating RANKL-induced MAPK, calcium, and NFATc1 signaling pathways and promoting the expression of ROS scavenging enzymes, thereby preventing OVX-induced bone loss. Thus, DHD may act as a novel therapeutic agent to manage osteoporosis.