Regulatory mechanism of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid, in bone metabolism and prevention of osteoporosis

在天然存在的柑橘类黄酮中，橙皮苷，一种黄烷酮糖苷，也通过抑制3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A（HMG-CoA）还原酶的活性来调节肝胆固醇合成。另一方面，Mundy et al.报告他汀类药物（胆固醇降低剂）在体外和体内均诱导骨形成并抑制骨吸收。我研究了橙皮苷对卵巢切除小鼠（骨质疏松症动物模型）骨代谢的影响。本实验结果提示，橙皮苷可能通过与他汀类药物相同的机制作用于骨，其作用机制可能是通过抑制甲羟戊酸-GG-PP代谢途径激活Rho-A而影响骨代谢。

Among the naturally occurring citrus flavonoids, hesperidin, a flavanon glycoside, also regulates hepatic cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutanyl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. On the other hand, Mundy et al. reported that statins, cholesterol lowering agents, induce bone formation and inhibit bone resorption both in vitro and in vivo. I examined the effects of hesperidin on bone metabolism in ovariectomized mice, animal models of osteoporosis. The results of my experiment suggest that hesperidin may act on bone by the same mechanism as that of statins, and hesperidin effects on bone metabolism which inhibit activation of Rho-A by mevalonate-GG-PP metabolic pathways.