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Ability of different techniques of measuring bone mass to determine vertebral bone loss in aging female rats

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Summary

Changes in vertebral trabecular bone were quantified in female Wistar rats. This study utilized single photon absorptiometry for the measurement of bone mineral content (BMC), quantitative computed tomography (QCT) for the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD), and image analysis histomorphometry for the measurement of trabecular bone volume (TBV). The above measurements were accompanied by biochemical assays of protein and calcium concentrations in the tissues. Also, the activity of bone alkaline and acid phosphatases was measured. Lumbar vertebrae (L4, L5) in old rats 27 months old, compared with those of young rats 7 months old, showed significant decreases in BMC, BMD, TBV, protein and calcium, and enzyme activity. A high degree of correlation was recorded between the above changes. The various changes were accompanied by a marked reduction in the overall wet weight of the vertebrae. Hence, new noninvasive methods to quantitate bone mass can be appliedin vivo to small laboratory animals such as the rat. These methods are much more accurate than standard radiographs in quantitating bone loss and are, therefore, recommended for experimental longitudinal studies related to aging of the skeleton.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Research, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Mohamed Safadi, Abraham Reznick &  Michael Silbermann

  2. Department of Rheumatology, The Rambam Medical Center, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Daniel Shapira

  3. Jerusalem Osteoporosis Center of the Hadassah Medical Organization, Jerusalem, Israel

    Isaac Leichter

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  1. Mohamed Safadi
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  2. Daniel Shapira
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  3. Isaac Leichter
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  4. Abraham Reznick
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  5. Michael Silbermann
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Safadi, M., Shapira, D., Leichter, I. et al. Ability of different techniques of measuring bone mass to determine vertebral bone loss in aging female rats. Calcif Tissue Int 42, 375–382 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02556356

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02556356

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