Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder, with up to 50% of patients clinically displaying skeletal defects. Currently, the pathogenesis of bone disorders in NF1 patients is unclear, and there are no effective preventive and treatment measures. In this study, we found that knockout of the NF1 gene reduced cAMP levels and osteogenic differentiation in an osteoblast model, and icariin activated the cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway to promote osteoblast differentiation of the NF1 gene knockout cell model by increasing intracellular cAMP levels. The PKA selective inhibitor H89 significantly impaired the stimulatory effect of icariin on osteogenesis in the NF1 cell model. In this study, an osteoblast model of NF1 was successfully constructed, and icariin was applied to the cell model for the first time. The results will help to elucidate the molecular mechanism of NF1 bone disease and provide new ideas for the clinical prevention and treatment of NF1 bone disease and drug development in the future.

Tributyltin (TBT), a recognized endocrine disruptor, is associated with metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and osteoporosis. Bile acids (BAs) play pivotal roles in lipid digestion and absorption. However, there are no studies to illustrate the effects of TBT on BA pool composition in circulation. Here, rats were treated with TBT (50 μg/kg) or a vehicle control once every three days for sixty days to analyze serum BA levels using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The liver tissue sections and lipid levels of rats were examined using conventional methods. TBT induced sporadic cholestasis in the livers of rats and significantly reduced the levels of five BAs, including four conjugated BAs [acidtaurocholic acid (TCA), taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA), and tauro-β-muricholic acid (Tβ-MCA)] and one unconjugated bile acid [dehydrolithocholic acid (DLCA)], while the serum levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, and bilirubin were unaltered by TBT treatment. These results indicate that TBT exposure affected the BA pool composition in circulation, especially the taurine-conjugated BAs.