ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of epimedium on the expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein -2(BMP-2) and -4(BMP-4) in cartilage tissue of rabbit model with lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration.

MethodsThirty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into the sham operation group, model group and epimedium group (10 rabbits each group), and the lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration rabbit models in other two groups were established except for the sham operation group.The epimedium group and model group were treated with intragastric administration of 10 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 epimedium solution and same volume of 0.9% sodium chloride injection, respectively.The lumbar cartilage endplate specimens were harvested from each group after 90 d of treatment, and the morphological change of tissue was observed.The expression levels of apoptosis factor fas receptor, and BMP-2 and BMP-4 protein in cartilage endplate were determined using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, respectively.

ResultsThe positive rates of fas receptor in model group and epimedium group were higher than that in sham operation group (P < 0.01), and the positive rate of fas receptor in epimedium group was lower than that in model group (P < 0.01).The expression levels of BMP-2 and BMP-4 protein in model group and epimedium group were lower than those in sham operation group (P < 0.01), the expression level of BMP-2 protein in epimedium group was higher than that in model group (P < 0.01), and there was no statistical significance in the expression level of BMP-4 among three groups (P>0.05).

ConclusionsEpimedium can up-regulate the expression level of BMP-2 in cartilage tissue of rabbit model with lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration, promote the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast, but there is no experimental basis for regulating BMP-4.