Abstract
Cordyceps sinensis is Chinese herb medicine and is frequently used as immune regulator. Recently, Cordyceps sinensis hot-water extract has also been found to have effects on the differentiation of mice bone marrow cells. With the characteristics of high fluorescence intensity and stability, quantum dots have become the most popular fluorescent tracers in living cell imagings. However, several recent studies have shown that using quantum dots to label bone marrow stem cells could inhibit their differentiation processes. For this concern, we aim to see whether the administration of Cordyceps sinensis hot-water extract can reduce the inhibitory effect of quantum dots labeling on the differentiation of bone marrow stem cell. According to our study by measuring the mRNA expression level of BMP, the activity level of ALP and the level of calcium ions, we found that quantum dots have an inhibitory effect on mice bone marrow differentiation, which can be reduced by the administration of Cordyceps sinensis. Additionally, we also found that Cordyceps sinensis hot-water extract has opposite effect on osteoclast differentiation. We found that bone marrow stem cells treated with Cordyceps sinensis hot-water extract can reduce the mRNA expression level of RANKL in osteoblasts, which consequently reduced the osteoclast differentiation.