Abstract: Objective    To investigate whether the formononetin has a mitigating effect on osteoporosis in type 2 diabetic rats with diabetic bone disease. Methods     A model of type 2 diabetes mellitus was established by combining Streptozotocin (STZ)+ high-fat diet. High, medium and low dosages (100 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg) of formononetin were administered by intragastric administration for 2 weeks, followed by detection of rats in each group. The bone mineral density, serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels, as well as the mRNA expressions of osteocalcin (OC) in femur and CYP24A1 in kidney of rats were measured. Results    Compared with the control group, the bone mineral density, serum T and E2 levels, femoral OC, and renal CYP24A1 mRNA expression decreased in the type 2 diabetes group, while the formononetin could reverse the above phenomenon, and the high dosage group had the most positive effect. Conclusion     Formononetin can alleviate osteoporosis in type 2 diabetic rats with diabetic bone disease.

Key words: Formononetin, Type 2 diabetes, Bone disease, Rats ,