ZOL treatment in OVX rats

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 21-22).Introduction: While there have been numerous studies demonstrating the effect of bisphosphonates in rats as either a preventative treatment or recovering treatment for osteoporosis, few have directly compared the two treatment alternatives with respect to their effects on bone microstructure and strength. This paper, then, investigates the effects of treatment timing using Zoledronate [ZOL], a potent bisphosphonate, on the lumbar and caudal vertebrae in ovariectomized [OVX], female Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty nine rats were divided into four groups according to their treatment: OVX at week 0 (n=5), OVX+earlyZOL (20 jig/kg s.c. week 0, n=8), OVX+late ZOL (20 jlg/kg s.c. week 8, n=7), and SHAM-OVX (n=9). Results: Micro-computed tomography (giCT) evaluation of six parameters characterizing bone morphology [BV/TV, ConnD, SMI, TbTh, TbNr, and TbSp] showed slightly favorable effects with early ZOL treatment in the fourth lumbar [L4] vertebrae. Compared to SHAM-OVX, OVX has a significantly (p