Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of ovariectomy and prednisolone on bone mineral content in rats: Evaluation by single photon absorptiometry and radiogrammetry

  • Laboratory Investigations
  • Published:
Calcified Tissue International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The effects of ovariectomy and prednisolone were studied for 9 months in 3-month-old rats on a moderately low calcium diet. Measurements were made by single photon absorptiometry of the femur at cortical and trabecular bone sites. Radiogrammetry was performed at the midshaft of the femur. During growth, body weight, bone size, and bone mineral content (BMC) increased in male rats more than in females. After ovariectomy, body weight increase was more pronounced, but bone mineral increase was lower than in controls. At the distal end of the femur, bone mineral density decreased after 3 months, and at the midshaft of the femur, medullary width increased significantly from 6 months on. Prednisolone in a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day did not influence BMC. However, prednisolone treatment after ovariectomy induced a more pronounced effect on bone than ovariectomy alone. BMC increase was lower than in ovariectomy, and bone mineral density decreased significantly, especially at the distal end of the femur. After correction for differences in body weight, globally the same results were found. We conclude that (1) the combination of single photon absorptiometry and radiogrammetry allows the evaluation of growth and the effect of ovariectomy and prednisolone treatment in rats; (2) ovariectomy results in bone loss first at the distal end and later in the midshaft of the femur; (3) prednisolone in a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day alone did not affect bone mass; and (4) prednisolone profoundly enhanced the effects of ovariectomy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Albright F, Bloomberg F, Smith PH (1940) Postmenopausal osteoporosis. Trans Assoc Am Phys 55:298–305

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hahn TJ (1980) Drug-induced disorders of vitamin D and mineral metabolism. Clin Endocrinol Metab 9:107–129

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Heaney RP, Recker RR, Saville PD (1978) Menopausal changes in bone remodeling. J Lab Clin Med 92:964–970

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Delmas PD, Stenner D, Wahner HW, Mann KG, Riggs BL (1983) Increase in serum bone gamma-carboxylglutamic acid protein with aging in women: implications for the mechanism of age-related bone loss. J Clin Invest 71:1316–1321

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Nordin BEC, Polley KJ (1987) Metabolic consequences of the menopause. A cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention study on 557 normal postmenopausal women. Calcif Tissue Int (suppl 1) 41

    Google Scholar 

  6. Christiansen C, Christensen MS, Transbol I (1981) Bone mass in postmenopausal women after withdrawal of oestrogen/gestagen replacement therapy. Lancet i:459–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kimberg DV, Baerg RD, Gershon E, Gradusius RT (1971) Effect of cortisone treatment on the active transport of calcium by the small intestine. J Clin Invest 50:1309–1321

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bressot C, Meunier PJ, Chapuy MC, Lejeune E, Edouard C, Darby AJ (1979) Histomorphometric profile, pathophysiology and reversibility of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. Metab Bone Dis Rel Res 1:303–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Nordin BEC, Marshall DH, Francis RM, Crilly RG (1981) The effects of sex steroid and corticosteroid hormones on bone. J Steroid Biochem 15:171–174

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Nagant de Deuxchaisnes C, Devogelaer JP, Huaux JP (1986) Influence of the menopausal state on the effect of low-dose glucocorticoid on bone mass in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Arthritis Rheum 29:693–694

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dequeker J (1972) Bone loss in normal and pathological conditions. Leuven University Press, 214

  12. Meema HA, Bunker ML, Meema S (1965) Loss of compact bone due to menopause. Obstet Gynecol 26:333–343

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lindsay R, Aitken JM, Anderson JB, Hart DM, MacDonald EB, Clarke AC (1976) Long-term prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis by oestrogen. Evidence for an increased bone mass after delayed onset of oestrogen treatment. Lancet (May) i:1038–1040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Horsman A, Gallagher JC, Simpson M, Nordin BEC (1977) Prospective trial of oestrogen and calcium in postmenopausal women. Br Med J 2:789–792

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Krølner B, Nielsen SP (1982) Bone mineral content of the lumbar spine in normal and osteoporotic women: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Clin Sci 62:329–336

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Riis B, Thomsen K, Christiansen C (1987) Does calcium supplementation prevent postmenopausal bone loss? A double-blind, controlled clinical study. N Engl J Med 316:173–177

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Simon MR (1984) The rat as an animal model for the study of senile idiopathic osteoporosis. Acta Anat 119:248–250

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kiebzak GM, Smith R, Howe JC, Sacktor B (1988) Bone mineral content in the senescent rat femur: an assessment using single photon absorptiometry. J Bone Miner Res 3:439–446

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lindgren JU, Merchant CR, DeLuca HF (1982) Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on osteopenia induced by prednisolone in adult rats. Calcif Tissue Int 34:253–257

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ismail F, Epstein S, Fallon MD, Thomas SB, Reinhardt TA (1988) Serum bone gla protein and the vitamin D endocrine system in the oophorectomized rat. Endocrinology 122:624–630

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wronski TJ, Citron M, Dann LM (1988) Temporal relationship between bone loss and increased bone turnover in ovariectomized rats. Calcif Tissue Int 43:179–183

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Aitken JM, Armstrong E, Armstrong JB (1972) Osteoporosis after oophorectomy in the mature female rat and the effect of estrogen and/or progesterone replacement therapy in its prevention. J Endocrinol 55:79–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Cruess RL, Hong KC (1979) The effect of long-term estrogen administration on bone metabolism in the female rat. Endocrinology 104:1188–1193

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wronski TJ, Walsh CC, Ignaszewski LA (1986) Histologic evidence for osteopenia and increased bone turnover in ovariectomized rats. Bone 7:119–123

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Turner RT, Wakley GK, Hannon KS, Bell NH (1988) Tamoxifen inhibits osteoclast-mediated resorption of trabecular bone in ovarian hormone-deficient rats. Endocrinology 122:1146–1150

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Tabuchi C, Simmons DJ, Fausto A, Russell JE, Binderman I, Avioli LV (1986) Bone deficient in ovariectomized rats. Functional contribution of the marrow stromal cell population and the effect of oral dihydrotachysterol treatment. J Clin Invest 78:637–642

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hori M, Uzawa T, Morita K, Noda T, Takahashi H, Inoue J (1988) Effect of human parathyroid hormone (PTH(1–34)) on experimental osteopenia of rats induced by ovariectomy. Bone Mineral 3:193–199

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kalu DN, Hardin RR, Cockerham R (1984) Evaluation of the pathogenesis of skeletal changes in ovariectomized rats. Endocrinology 115:507–512

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Fisher GL, Schwind JA, Lee TD, Goldman M (1974) A photon absorptiometer for in vivo and in vitro measurement of small animal bone density.Biomed Engineering (May)5:196–213

    Google Scholar 

  30. Mbuyi-Muamba JM, Dequeker J (1986) Bone mass measured by photon absorptiometry in Wistar rats. Age and sex variations. Invest Radiol 21:336–339

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Awbrey BJ, Hagaman JR, Lester GE, Talmage RV (1985) In vivo bone mineral analysis throughout skeletal growth in rats: differences due to sex or vitamin D deficiency. J Orthop Res 3:456–463

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wronski TJ, Schenck PA, Cintron M, Walsh CC (1987) Effect of body weight on osteopenia in ovariectomized rats. Calcif Tissue Int 40:155–159

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Bell GH, Cuthbertson DP, Orr J (1941) Strength and size of bone in relation to calcium intake. J Physiol 100:299–317

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Nordin BEC (1960) Osteomalacia, osteoporosis and calcium deficiency. Clin Orthop Rel Res 235–257

  35. Sontag W (1986) Quantitative measurements of periosteal and cortical-endosteal bone formation and resorption in the midshaft of female rat femur. Bone 7:55–62

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Saville PD (1969) Changes in skeletal mass and fragility with castration in the rat: a model of osteoporosis. J Am Geriatr Soc 17:155–164

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Wronski TJ, Cintron M, Doherty AL, Dann LM (1988) Estrogen treatment prevents osteopenia and depresses bone turnover in ovariectomized rats. Endocrinology 123:681–686

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Turner RT, Vandersteenhoven JJ, Bell NH (1987) The effects of ovariectomy and 17β-estradiol on cortical bone histomorphometry in growing rats. J Bone Miner Res 2:115–122

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Okumura H, Yamamuro T, Kasai R, Hayashi T, Tada K, Nishii Y (1988) Effect of 1-hydroxyvitamin D3 on osteoporosis induced by immobilization combined with ovariectomy in rats. Bone 8:351–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Wronski TJ, Lowry PL, Walsh CC, Ignasweski LA (1985) Skeletal alterations in ovariectomized rats. Calcif Tissue Int 37:324–328

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Dannucci GA, Martin RB, Patterson-Buckendahl P (1989) Ovariectomy and trabecular bone remodeling in the dog. Calcif Tissue Int 40:194–199

    Google Scholar 

  42. Jerome CP, Kimmel DB, McAlister JA, Weaver DS (1986) Effects of ovariectomy on iliac trabecular bone in baboons (Papio anubis). Calcif Tissue Int 39:206–208

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Geusens P, Dequeker J, Verstraeten A, Nijs J (1986) Age-, sex- and menopause-related changes of vertebral and peripheral bone: population study using dual and single photon absorptiometry and radiogrammetry. J Nucl Med 27:1540–1549

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Crilly RG, Horsman A, Marshall DH, Nordin BEC (1978) Post-menopausal and corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. Front. Horm Res 5:53–75

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Vaishnaw R, Beresford JN, Gallagher JR, Russell RGG (1988) Effects of the anabolic steroid stanozolol on cells derived from human bone. Clin Sci 74:455–460

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arthritis and Metabolic Bone Disease Research Unit, K.U. Leuven, U.Z. Pellenberg, Pellenberg, Belgium

    Piet Geusens, Jan Dequeker & Jos Nijs

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Leo Pharmaceutical Products Ltd, Ballerup, Denmark

    Erik Bramm

Authors
  1. Piet Geusens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan Dequeker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jos Nijs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Erik Bramm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Geusens, P., Dequeker, J., Nijs, J. et al. Effect of ovariectomy and prednisolone on bone mineral content in rats: Evaluation by single photon absorptiometry and radiogrammetry. Calcif Tissue Int 47, 243–250 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555926

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555926

Key words

Search

Navigation