Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide inhibits OVX-induced bone loss in mice and RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis

Abstract Osteoporosis is a serious bone disease affecting the aging population. Cistanche deserticola (CD), a tonic and medicinal food widely used in China, has been proved to provide effective treatment for osteoporosis. Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide (CDP), extracted from CD, possesses various pharmacological properties, but its role in osteoclastic formation and function as well as osteoporosis remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to extract and purify CDP to further explore its potential mechanism of action on osteoporosis. Results showed that the CDP treatment prevented OVX-induced osteoporosis and ameliorated bone loss by repressing osteoclast activity and function. Furthermore, CDP treatment significantly inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, bone resorption, and osteoclast-specific gene expression. Mechanistically, CDP inhibited RANKL-induced NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways activation and consequently affected the downstream NFATc1 activation. The findings in this study suggest that CDP is a potentially safe drug for treating osteoporosis.