Study on glucocorticoid - induced osteoporosis in mice

Abstract

Taking a glucocorticoid medication (sometimes called corticosteroids) for treatment of inflammatory arthritis or other health problem may weaken the bones, in turn, can lead to osteoporosis. Glucocorticoid medicines have both direct and indirect effects on bone tissue that lead to bone loss. Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that the amino-bisphosphonates risedronate and alendronate, both potent anti-resorptive agents, can prevent and treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. The aim of this research is develop an experimental model for evaluating the therapeutic effects of drugs to treat osteoporosis. The research was performed to study on parameters related to glucocorticoidinduced osteoporosis in mice i.e. bone weight, bone length, phosphorus contents, plasma alkaline phosphatase, and bone morphology. Methylprednisolone, a synthetic glucocorticoid was used to induce osteoporosis. Methylprednisolone was subcutaneously injected in the doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg. The revealed results demonstrated that glucocorticoid decreased bone calcium and phosphorus contents, plasma alkaline phosphatase, and induced osteoporosis in bone morphological images, markedly after four weeks subcutaneous injection of methylprednisolone. Treatment of alendronate (oral dose of 2.5 mg/kg mouse body weight) for 4 weeks after methylprednisolone restored the changes in parameters related to osteoporosis to the normal values. In this research, the osteoporosis mouse model was created by using hormonal intervention – pharmaceutical with the corticosteroid in long term and treated with bisphosphonates – alendronate. Key words: Osteoporosis, glucocorticoids, alendronate.