活性小分子淫羊藿苷(Icariin)对软骨损伤有显著的治疗效果，但其作用机制仍未阐明。申请人在前期的研究中发现Icariin能够促进骨骺干细胞YAP蛋白去磷酸化激活；激活的YAP蛋白进入细胞核并上调增殖相关基因Ki67及PCNA的表达，进而调控骨骺干细胞生命状态。在此基础上，本项目拟体外培养骨骺干细胞并模拟骺板损伤局部的炎症环境，研究Icariin对炎症环境中骨骺干细胞增殖与凋亡的调控，探明Hippo-YAP通路在此调控过程中的地位及作用；深入研究Icariin调控Hippo-YAP通路的关键位点与具体机制；最后构建骺板损伤动物模型，验证Icariin对实验动物骺板损伤的修复作用以及对损伤处骺板软骨细胞增殖与凋亡的调控并并进一步验证Hippo-YAP通路在此过程中的关键作用。本课题的深入研究为Icariin应用于骺板损伤治疗提供理论及实验依据。

Icariin, the major pharmacological active constituent of Herb Epimedium, could significantly accelerate the restoration of chondral defect. The mechanism of this effect is still not clear. In our previous studies, we found that Icariin could promote the dephosphorylation and activation of YAP protein in precarilaginous stem cells. Accumulation of activated YAP protein in nucleus may promote cell proliferation by up-regulating the mRNA levels of PCNA and Ki67.This study tries to elucidate the regulation of Icariin on the proliferation and apoptosis of precarilaginous stem cells in the inflammatory milieu and study the role of Hippo-YAP signaling pathway in this regulation process of Icariin. This study will further investigate the mechanism by which Icariin regulates Hippo-YAP pathway. Finally this study tries to confirm the healing effect of Icariin on the epiphyseal growth plate injury rats via Hippo-YAP pathway. The intensive study on the effect and mechanism of Icariin promoting growth plate injury repair via Hippo-YAP pathway will provide novel theoretical and experimental basis of the application of Icariin in epiphyseal growth plate injury patients.