Effects of alpha-Escin on mechanical features of the femoral bone in rats with experimental post-steroid osteopenia.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of alpha-escin on the experimental prednisolone-induced osteopenia. The experiments were carried out on male Wistar rats of initial body mass 240-310 g, divided into 4 groups (n = 6): I (C)-control, II (E)-alpha-Escin, III (P)-Prednisolone, IV (E + P)-Prednisolone + alpha-escin. Prednisolone (5 mg/kg i.m. daily) and/or alpha-escin (100 mg/kg p.o. daily) were administered for 28 days. Studies into the effect of alpha-escin on the development of steroid-induced osteopenia included the determination of an increase in body and adrenal glands mass in rats, determination of macrometrical parameters, of calcium and other minerals density in examined bones and determination of mechanical endurance of femoral bone. The carried-out experiments indicated that the p.o. administration of 100 mg/kg of alpha-escin for 28 days to sexually mature male rats with experimental steroid-induced osteopenia caused slight protective action on bone tissue against unfavourable influence of prednisolone manifested by enhancement of mechanical features of femoral bone.
Cegieła
U
U
Silesian Medical University, Department of Pharmacology, 4 Jagiellońska Str., 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
Pytlik
M
M
Janiec
W
W
Sliwiński
L
L
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004928:Escin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005269:Femur / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011239:Prednisolone; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004928:Escin; D011239:Prednisolone; D002118:Calcium