Objective To explore the possible mechanism of musk in improving bone defect healing. Methods Cranial bone defect models were made with cranial drill in 300 SD rats. After modeling

the rats were randomly divided into a model group and an experiment group

with 150 rats in each group. Rats in both groups were further divided into subgroups of 7 days

14 days

and 28 days

respectively

with 50 rats in each subgroup. The experiment group was gavaged with 4. 2 mg/100 g of natural musk

while the model group was gavaged with equivalent saline

once per day for 7 days

14 days or 28 days

respectively. On the 7th

14 th and 28 th day of gavage

real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was adopted to detect levels of transforming growth factor β（ TGF-β） mRNA and vascular endothelial growth factor（ VEGF） mRNA in bone defect regions in both groups. Results Compared with those in the model group at the same time point

level of TGF-β mRNA on the 7th and the 28 th day and level of VEGF mRNA on the28 th day in the experiment group increased remarkably（ P < 0. 05）. In the experiment group

expression of TGF-βmRNA and VEGF mRNA on the 28 th day were remarkably higher than that on the 14 th day（ P < 0. 05）. Conclusion Musk could effectively improve healing of cranial bone defect regions. Its mechanism may be related to increasing of expression of TGF-β mRNA and VEGF mRNA in bone tissue in defect regions.