Low bone mineral density in chinese adults with nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease.

Aim. To investigate bone metabolic characteristics in Chinese adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods.

A novel semisynthetic molecule icaritin stimulates osteogenic differentiation and inhibits adipogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: We previously reported that the constitutional flavonoid glycosides derived from herb Epimedium (EF, composed of seven flavonoid compounds with common nuclear stem) exerted beneficial effects on the bone, including promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone marrow fat deposition. Recent in vivo study showed that Icaritin was a common metabolite of these constitutional flavonoid glycosides, indicating that Icaritin is a bioactive compound. The present study was designed to investigate whether Icaritin could promote osteogenic differentiation and suppress adipogenic differentiation of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).