Betulinic Acid Inhibits RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis via Attenuating Akt, NF-κB, and PLCγ2-Ca2+ Signaling and Prevents Inflammatory Bone Loss

J Nat Prod. 2020 Apr 24;83(4):1174-1182. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b01212. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Abstract

The increase of bone-resorbing osteoclast activity in bone remodeling is the major characteristic of various bone diseases. Thus, inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and bone-resorbing function may be an effective therapeutic target for bone diseases. Betulinic acid (BA), a natural plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, is known to possess numerous pharmacological and biochemical properties including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiadipogenic activity. However, the effect of BA on osteoclast differentiation and function in bone metabolism has not been demonstrated so far. In this study, we investigated whether BA could suppress RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. Interestingly, BA significantly suppressed osteoclastogenesis by decreasing the phosphorylation of Akt and IκB, as well as PLCγ2-Ca2+ signaling, in pathways involved in early osteoclastogenesis as well as through the subsequent suppression of c-Fos and NFATc1. The inhibition of these pathways by BA was once more confirmed by retrovirus infection of constitutively active (CA)-Akt and CA-Ikkβ retrovirus and measurement of Ca2+ influx. BA also significantly inhibited the expression of osteoclastogenesis-specific marker genes. Moreover, we found that BA administration restored the bone loss induced through acute lipopolysaccharide injection in mice by a micro-CT and histological analysis. Our findings suggest that BA is a potential therapeutic candidate for bone diseases involving osteoclasts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Betulinic Acid
  • Bone Marrow Cells / drug effects*
  • Bone Resorption / metabolism*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / chemistry
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Osteoclasts / drug effects
  • Osteogenesis / drug effects*
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes / chemistry
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Phospholipase C gamma / chemistry
  • Phospholipase C gamma / metabolism
  • Phospholipase C gamma / pharmacology*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / chemistry*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RANK Ligand / chemistry
  • RANK Ligand / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • NF-kappa B
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • RANK Ligand
  • TNFSF11 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • PLCG2 protein, human
  • Phospholipase C gamma
  • Betulinic Acid