Figure 2.

Mechanism of action of vitamin E in preventing osteoclastogenesis. Vitamin E affects osteoclastogenesis via three distinct mechanisms. Firstly, it inhibits COX-2 activity and subsequently PGE² level. It also decreases IL-1 level and thus preventing IL-1-mediated RANKL expression. Secondly, vitamin E induces upregulation in antioxidant enzymes in bone and acts as a free radical scavenger itself, thus abolishing ROS-mediated RANKL signaling. Lastly, vitamin E also abrogates downstream signaling pathways leading to osteoclastogenesis even with or without affecting the expression level of signaling molecules.