| Objective To investigate the effect of Jiangu capsule by Liu Bailing, a master of Chinese medicine, on the differentiation and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. Methods The water extract of Jiangu capsule was lyophilized. CCK-8 method and cell migration test were used to detect the effect of the extract on the proliferation and migration of MC3T3- E1 cells. The mineralization capability of MC3T3-E1 cells was detected with Alizarin red staining. The mRNA levels of osteogenic differentiation genes Runx2, OCN, OPN, Col1a1, ALP, and Bcl2 were detected using real-time quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of Col1a1 and Bcl2 were detected with Western blotting. Results The experimental results showed that the extract of Jiangu capsule promoted the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and increased cell mobility. At the same time, the extract of Jiangu capsule significantly improved the calcification ability of MC3T3-E1 cells (P<0.01), promoted the mRNA expression of Runx2, OCN, OPN, Col1a1, ALP, and Bcl2 (P<0.05), and promoted the expression of Col1a1 and Bcl2 proteins. Conclusion Jiangu capsule promotes the proliferation and migration of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and improves the osteogenic capability of MC3T3-E1 cells by up-regulating the expression levels of osteogenic genes such as Runx2, OCN, OPN, Col1a1, ALP, and Bcl2. |