Protective effect of Sika Deer bone polypeptide extract on dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis in rats

Abstract Background Osteoporosis attacks 10% of the population worldwide. Sika Deer (Cervus nippon), one of China’s precious traditional medicinal animals, has been widely recorded in ancient Chinese medical books and claimed for centuries to have numerous medical benefits including strengthen bones. How to use Sika Deer bone to treat osteoporosis according to traditional records, this study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Sika Deer bone polypeptide extract on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in rats. Results Sika Deer bone polypeptide extract could increase serum Ca2+ and BGP, decrease serum P3+, ALP, PTH, and CT, but had no effect on serum NO in rats with GIOP. The immunohistochemical iNOS results of the rats’ distal femur were negative in each group. Besides the model group, the eNOS color reaction in osteoblasts was strongly positive in the other three groups. Conclusion Sika Deer bone polypeptide extract can improve pathological changes in the microstructure and stimulate the expression of eNOS in osteoblasts. The protective effect on bone might be mediated by eNOS-dependent NO generation.