| Objective To investigate the mechanism of isorhynchophylline (IRN) in inhibiting bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice through regulating oxidative stress and gut microbiota. Methods Twenty-eight C57BL/6J female mice were randomly assigned to four groups: Sham group (Sham), OVX group, IRN low-dose group (IRN-L, 10mg·kg-1·d-1), and IRN high-dose group (IRN-H, 20mg·kg-1·d-1). The experiment lasted for 8 weeks. BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Tb.Sp were analyzed using micro-CT. Serum levels of TRACP5b, β-CTX, PINP, BALP, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10,NO, iNOS, and ROS were measured using ELISA. Gut microbiota composition was assessed with 16S rRNA sequencing, while short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were quantified via GC-MS. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate colonic tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin). Results Compared to Sham group, OVX group showed significant decreases in the levels of BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and IL-10 (P<0.01, P<0.001), while the levels of Tb.Sp, TRACP5b, β-CTX, PINP, BALP, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, NO, iNOS, and ROS increased significantly in OVX group (P<0.001). Compared to OVX group, both IRN-L and IRN-H group exhibited significant increase in the levels of BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, and IL-10 (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001), along with significant decrease in the levels of Tb.Sp, TRACP5b, β-CTX, PINP, BALP, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, NO, iNOS, and ROS (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001). Tb.Th in IRN-H group was significantly higher than that in OVX group (P<0.05). The abundances of Campilobacterota and Helicobacter showed an increasing trend in OVX group compared to Sham group (P>0.05), and their abundances were significantly reduced in IRN-H group compared to OVX group (P<0.05). The level of butanoic acid decreased significantly in OVX group compared to that in Sham group (P<0.05), and significantly increased in IRN-H group compared to that in OVX group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression levels of the tight junction proteins ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin reduced significantly in OVX group compared to those in Sham group (P<0.001), and significantly elevated in both IRN-L and IRN-H groups compared to OVX group (P<0.01, P<0.001). Conclusion IRN may inhibit bone loss in OVX mice by alleviating inflammatory response and oxidative stress, regulating gut microbiota and SCFAs, and repairing intestinal barrier. |