title: Calcitonin versus clodronate in the prevention of ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in rats.
abstract: The effects of salmon calcitonin and clodronate were compared in ovariectomised rats. Sixty female Wistar rats ( 260 g in weight) were fed the same diet and had the same living conditions. The rats were divided into the following groups: 15 rats with sham ovariectomy and no drug treatment (Sham-OVX); 45 rats with bilateral ovariectomy subdivided into 15 rats not receiving drug treatment (OVX group), 15 rats treated with subcutaneous salmon calcitonin, 2 U/kg/day every 2 days (OVX + CT group) and 15 rats treated with subcutaneous clodronate, 5 mg/kg/day every 2 days (OVX + Cl group). Sixty days after surgery, the rats were sacrificed and their femurs and fifth lumbar vertebrae were dissected and cleaned of soft tissue. Femur length, vertebral height, and bone mineral content and bone mineral density of the femur and fifth lumbar vertebra by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were measured. Calcitonin had a significant and stronger effect in preventing ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in the femur (OVX + CT vs OVX groups, p < 0.0001); both calcitonin and clodronate had a significant effect on the fifth lumbar vertebra, which was greater in the calcitonin group (OVX + CT vs OVX + Cl groups, p<0.005). These findings indicate that calcitonin has a protective effect on both the axial (trabecular bone) and peripheral (cortical bone) skeletons, but clodronate only has a protective effect on the axial skeleton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Atrio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Revilla
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004002:Clodronic Acid; C028815:salmon calcitonin; D002116:Calcitonin