Elemene, the essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin, inhibits osteogenic differentiation in ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: To explore the effects of Elemene, the essential oil of Curcuma wenyujin, on Bone morphogenetic protein/drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic proteins (BMP/SMADs) signal pathway in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) fibroblasts.

Methods: Hip joint capsules were obtained from AS patients (n=10) receiving total hip replacement. Healthy hip joint capsules from patients with hip fracture (n=10) receiving surgery were included as a control. Primary fibroblast cell lines were established from these tissue samples. Fibroblasts were incubated with Elemene for 48 hours. The protein expression was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results: The results showed that the expression of proteins including SMAD1, pSMAD1, SMAD4 and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and mRNA of RUNX2, which were over-expressed in AS fibroblasts were decreased in the AS fibroblasts cultured in medium with Elemene.

Conclusions: Ele could have a hand in anti-osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts by inhibiting the BMP/SMADs signal pathway and subsequently blocking expression of ossification marker genes RUNX2 that initiate the osteogenic differentiation.