Objective The protective effect of electroacupuncture combined with aqueous extract of Yanhusuo on osteoporotic rats was investigated, and its possible potential mechanism was tentatively explored. Methods A bilateral ovariectomy method was used to prepare an osteoporotic rat model, which was divided into: Sham group, model group, estradiol group, electroacupuncture group, Yanhusuo group and needle medicine group according to the treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect bone histomorphology and measure structural parameters of bone trabeculae; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum bone metabolic markers, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor -κB ligands (RANKL); Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Runx2, Wnt3a and β-catenin proteins in bone tissue. Results After treatment, the BMD values of rats in the model group were significantly lower and the levels of bone metabolic markers were significantly higher in the model group compared with the Sham group (P<0.05). Electroacupuncture, Yanhusuo extract and the combination of both treatments were able to reduce the structural and morphological damage of bone trabeculae and bone metabolic marker levels in the model group rats (P<0.05). The combined treatment of electroacupuncture, aqueous extract of Yanhusuo and both of them could inhibit the reduction of OPG content, inhibit the protein expression of Runx2, Wnt3a and β-catenin, and increase the content of RANKL and the protein expression of GSK-3β and DVL1. The effect of combined intervention of electroacupuncture and aqueous extract of Yanhusuo was significantly better than that of electroacupuncture and aqueous extract of Yanhusuo alone (P<0.05). Conclusion The combination of electroacupuncture stimulation and Yanhusuo aqueous extract can play a synergistic role in reducing bone loss, increasing bone density, improving bone tissue microstructure and bone metabolism by regulating OPG/RANKL and Wnt/ β-catenin pathways, thus improving ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis. |