A balanced interaction between osteoblast and osteoclast plays a major role in maintaining bone strength and structural
integrity. Tocotrienol, a palm derivative with potent antioxidant properties showed an anti-osteoporotic effect but little
is known about its mechanism of action. Hence, this research was conducted to determine the effects of palm tocotrienol
on the surface osteoblast and osteoclast of the the glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic bones. The study involved
40 male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g which were randomly divided into an equal number of Baseline,
Sham, Adrx+Dexa (adrenalectomized with dexamethasone), Adrx+Dexa+ATF (adrenalectomized with dexamethasone
supplemented with α-tocopherol) and Adrx+Dexa+PTT (adrenalectomized with dexamethasone supplemented with
palm tocotrienol). Bloods were taken prior to sacrifice for serum biomarkers and either tibia or femur was harvested
for bone biomarkers, gene expressions analysis and histological studies. A double-blinded experiment was performed
to calculate the number of total cells (osteoblasts and osteoclast) with intact nuclei within five fields of view. While
serum osteocalcin and gene expression did not show any changes, CTX level was increased in the Adrx+Dexa group
but reduced after the supplementation of palm tocotrienol. Supplementation of palm tocotrienol also significantly
decrease the osteoclast population (p<0.05) compared to Adrx+Dexa group. In contrast, osteoblast population showed
no significant difference across the groups. The result showed that palm tocotrienol acts by modulating the osteoclasts
but not osteoblast, which revert the dynamics of bone cells population in the osteoporotic bone to its pre-osteoporotic
levels. Supplements of tocotrienol in daily diet may be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis.
Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a relatively easy, reliable, and safe method for bone status assessment, but reference data for Asian males remain scarce. Our study aimed to determine the values for one QUS parameter, the speed of sound (SOS) at the calcaneus, in Malaysian Chinese men and to determine the association between the SOS and several demographic characteristics, such as age, weight, height, and body mass index. Three hundred forty-eight Malaysian Chinese men aged 40 yr and older were recruited, and their calcaneal QUS value was determined using the CM-200 densitometer (Furuno Electric, Nishinomiya City, Japan). The results indicated a significant correlation between SOS and age, and multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that age and height were important predictors of SOS. A significant reduction in SOS value was observed when men 60 yr and older were compared with men aged 40-49 yr. Compared with the reference data for Japanese males, Chinese men in Malaysia showed higher SOS values across all the age groups studied. In conclusion, there is an age-related decrease in SOS values in Malaysian Chinese men, and the SOS values established in this study can be used as a reference for future studies.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint condition with limited disease-modifying treatments currently. Palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) has been previously shown to be effective against OA, but its mechanism of action remains elusive. This study aims to compare serum metabolomic alteration in Sprague-Dawley rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA which were treated with palm TRF, glucosamine sulphate, or a combination of both. This study was performed on thirty adult male rats, which were divided into normal control (n = 6) and OA groups (n = 24). The OA group received intra-articular injections of MIA and daily oral treatments of refined olive oil (vehicle, n = 6), palm TRF (100 mg/kg, n = 6), glucosamine sulphate (250 mg/kg, n = 6), or a combination of TRF and glucosamine (n = 6) for four weeks. Serum was collected at the study's conclusion for metabolomic analysis. The findings revealed that MIA-induced OA influences amino acid metabolism, leading to changes in metabolites associated with the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan as well as alterations in the metabolism of phenylalanine, tryptophan, arginine and proline. Supplementation with glucosamine sulphate, TRF, or both effectively reversed these metabolic changes induced by OA. The amelioration of metabolic effects induced by OA is linked to the therapeutic effects of TRF and glucosamine. However, it remains unclear whether these effects are direct or indirect in nature.