Chondroitin sulfate

The use of non-drug intervention for calcium deficiency has attracted attention in recent years. Although calcium carbonate is the preferred raw material for calcium supplementation, the mechanism of chondroitin sulfate, a drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis, in alleviating osteoporosis from the perspective of intestinal flora and metabolomics, has been rarely reported. In this study, intestinal microflora abundance and fecal and plasma metabolite expression levels were compared in control rats fed a basal diet, rats fed a low-calcium diet, rats fed a low-calcium diet plus calcium carbonate, and rats fed a low-calcium diet plus chondroitin sulfate. The results showed that calcium content and bone mineral density in the midpoint and distal femur in the calcium carbonate and chondroitin sulfate groups were significantly increased compared with the low-calcium group. 16s rRNA sequencing and metabolomics analysis showed that chondroitin sulfate intervention changed the intestinal microflora composition and fecal and plasma metabolic profiles of low-calcium fed rats, and promoted calcium absorption and alleviated osteoporosis through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. Correlation analysis showed that the selected intestinal flora was significantly correlated with metabolites enriched in feces and plasma. In conclusion, chondroitin sulfate intervention may promote calcium absorption, alleviate the symptoms of osteoporosis in low-calcium rats, and affect intestinal microflora composition and metabolic characteristics. This study provides scientific evidence of the potential impact of chondroitin sulfate as a palliative agent or dietary supplement for patients with osteoporosis.

近年来，针对钙缺乏的非药物干预措施引起了广泛关注。尽管碳酸钙是钙补充剂的首选原料，但就软骨素硫酸盐（一种用于治疗骨关节炎的药物）从肠道菌群和代谢组学角度缓解骨质疏松的机制，报道鲜有。在本研究中，我们比较了对照组、低钙饮食组、低钙饮食加碳酸钙组和低钙饮食加软骨素硫酸盐组的肠道微生物丰度、粪便和血浆代谢物表达水平。结果显示，与低钙组相比，碳酸钙和软骨素硫酸盐组的中段和远端股骨中的钙含量和骨矿物质密度显著增加。16s rRNA测序和代谢组学分析表明，软骨素硫酸盐干预改变了低钙饮食大鼠的肠道微生物组成和粪便、血浆代谢谱，并通过抗炎和抗氧化机制促进钙吸收，缓解骨质疏松。相关性分析显示，所选的肠道菌群与粪便和血浆中富集的代谢物显著相关。综上所述，软骨素硫酸盐干预可能促进钙吸收，缓解低钙大鼠的骨质疏松症状，并影响肠道微生物组成和代谢特征。本研究为软骨素硫酸盐作为骨质疏松患者辅助治疗剂或膳食补充剂的潜在影响提供了科学依据。