Effects of misoprostol on bone loss in ovariectomized rats

• Published in: Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators 1999-05, Vol.57 (2), p.113-118
• Main Authors: Sonmez, A.Suha, Birincioglu, Mustafa, Özer, M.Kaya, Kutlu, Ramazan, Chuong, C.James
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Animals; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone mineral density; Bone Resorption - diagnostic imaging; Bone Resorption - metabolism; Female; Lumbar Vertebrae - metabolism; Misoprostol; Misoprostol - pharmacology; Ovariectomized rat; Ovariectomy; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• ISSN: 1098-8823
• DOI: 10.1016/S0090-6980(98)00080-X

This study was performed to investigate whether misoprostol (prostaglandin E1 analogue) (Cytotec, Searle, England) is effective for restoration of bone loss. Four-month-old parous female Sprague-Dawley rats ( n = 30) were subjected either to bilateral ovariectomy (OVX, 24 rats) or to sham surgery (sham, 6 rats). The OVX rats were divided into four groups 60 days after the surgery. Six of them were killed, and dual-energy X-ray absorption (Norland xr-36, Norland Corporation, Fort Atkinson, WI, USA) measurements were performed, called pretreatment OVX group. The remaining groups (each had 6 rats) treated orally with 0 (control), 100, 200 μg/kg/day misoprostol for 60 days. All rats were killed 60 days after having treatment, and bone loss of the lumbar spine was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorption. The bone mineral density was decreased by 25.4% in control group and 23.6% in pretreatment group compared to sham group, but restored by 86% and 96% in groups treated with 100 and 200 μg/kg/day misoprostol, respectively. These results suggest that misoprostol restores bone loss in the lumbar spine of OVX rats in a dose-dependent manner.