[An experimental study on effect of estrogen on osteoarthritis in female rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of estrogen on osteoarthritis in female rats.


METHODS
Forty female rats were divided into four groups. In group I, the rats were not given any treatment as a control. In groups II, III and IV, the rats received fixing left knee joint on extension position. Meanwhile, the rats received ovariectomy in group III; ovariectomy and diethylstilbestrol treatment in group IV, respectively. After 4 weeks, histological observation and serum BGP examination were done.


RESULTS
In groups II, III and IV, the levels of serum BGP were 3.50 +/- 0.39, 5.72 +/- 0.64 and 3.95 +/- 0.44, respectively. The pathologic grades of cartilage and synovium were 10.83 +/- 4.35 and 4.21 +/- 2.03; 15.32 +/- 3.42 and 7.62 +/- 3.42; and 12.65 +/- 2.73 and 5.46 +/- 1.23, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Estrogen may play an important role in delaying the development of osteoarthritis.
Ren
Yong-xin
YX
Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu Sichuan, P.R. China 610072.
Deng
You-zhang
YZ
D000818:Animals; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004967:Estrogens