Gamma-Tocotrienol Stimulates the Proliferation, Differentiation, and Mineralization in Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 Cells

Abstract EN

Gamma-tocotrienol, a major component of tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil, has been suggested to exhibit bone protective effects in vivo.

However, the effects of γ-tocotrienol on osteoblast cells are still unclear.

In this study, the effects of γ-tocotrienol on the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were investigated.

Our results showed that γ-tocotrienol (2–8 μmol/L) significantly improved the cell proliferation (p<0.05), but it did not affect cell cycle progression.

γ-Tocotrienol significantly increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (p<0.05), secretion levels of osteocalcin (OC) and osteonectin (ON), and mRNA levels of collagen type I (Col I) of MC3T3-E1 cells.

Meanwhile, we found that γ-tocotrienol is promoted in differentiation MC3T3-E1 cells by upregulation of the expression of Runx2 protein.

Moreover, the number of bone nodules increased over 2.5-fold in cells treated with γ-tocotrienol (2–8 μmol/L) for 24 d compared to control group.

These results indicated that γ-tocotrienol at low dose levels, especially 4 μmol/L, could markedly enhance the osteoblastic function by increasing the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells.

Moreover, our data also indicated that Runx2 protein may be involved in these effects.

Further studies are needed to determine the potential of γ-tocotrienol as an antiosteoporotic agent.