Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 48 11 2019 11 03 1960 1970 Minsu PARK Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea AND Department of Food and Nutrition, KC University, Seoul, Korea Hyeon Kyeong CHOI Department of Food and Nutrition, KC University, Seoul, Korea AND Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul, Korea Jeung Hee AN Department of Food and Nutrition, KC University, Seoul, Korea 2019 11 03 Background: We aimed to elucidate the preventive effects of taurine against osteopenia in ovariectomized (OVX) rats and the mechanisms by which taurine regulates osteoblastogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The effects of the taurine on human osteoblast MG-63 cell differentiation and osteoblastogenesis effect in OVX rat were examined Konkuk University in 2018 by evaluating osteoblast differentiation, and expression of osteoblast-specific factors by western blotting analysis. Results: Taurine supplementation significantly improved alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, taurine induced the expression of osteogenic growth factors such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), small mothers against decapentaplegic 1/5/8 (SMAD1/5/8), wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 3A (Wnt3a), and collagen type 1 (COL-1) via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt). Moreover, the RUNX2 activity of the taurine-treated group was enhanced by protein-protein interactions such as Wnt3a-induced p-AKT/RUNX2 and BMP-mediated SMADs/MAPK/RUNX2 interactions. Conclusion: Our in vitro and in vivo results suggested that taurine can be considered as a potential therapeutic candidate agent for preventing bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/18833 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/18833/6561