9-Hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxydalbergiquinol inhibits osteoclast differentiation through down-regulation of Akt, c-Fos and NFATc1

•Our data demonstrate for the first time HDDQ can suppress RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis in bone marrow macrophages.•HDDQ inhibits RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis via down-regulation of Akt signaling.•We found that HDDQ down-regulated the induction by RANKL of c-Fos protein by suppressing its translation.•HDDQ inhibits the NFATc1-regulated expression of genes required for osteoclastogenesis, such as OSCAR and TRAP.•HDDQ could be a potential therapeutic candidate for treating osteoclast-related diseases such as osteoporosis.

Recently, natural plant-derived products have been recognized as one of the main sources for drug discovery and development in human disease. 9-Hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxydalbergiquinol (HDDQ) isolated from the heart wood of Dalbergia odorifera is widely used in oriental medicine, however, the pharmacological effect of HDDQ in osteoclast-associated diseases remains unknown. In this study, HDDQ dose-dependently inhibited the early stage of RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) without cytotoxicity. HDDQ strongly inhibited Akt phosphorylation in RANKL-stimulated BMMs and did not show any effects on p38, JNK, and IκB phosphorylation and IκB degradation. Interestingly, we found that HDDQ down-regulated the induction by RANKL of c-Fos protein by suppressing its translation. Also, ectopic overexpression of c-Fos and NFATc1 rescued the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation by HDDQ. Furthermore, the Akt/c-Fos/NFATc1-regulated expression of genes required for osteoclastogenesis, such as OSCAR and TRAP, was inhibited by HDDQ. These findings suggest that HDDQ prevents osteoclast differentiation via down-regulation of Akt, c-Fos, and NFATc1 signaling molecules, suggesting a potential therapeutic value of HDDQ for bone disorders associated with increased bone resorption.

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