title: [Experimental study on prevention and treatment of osteoporosis by phytoestrogen].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of phytoestrogen (PE) in preventing and treating osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five Wistar female rats, 3 months old, were randomly divided into the sham-operated group, the model group, low dose and high dose PE groups, and the positive control group, 9 in each group. All rats, except that those in the sham operated group were simutaneously operated, were ovariectomized. The medication started from the 31st days after operation by daily given saline per os to the sham-operated group and the model group, PE per os to the PE groups, and estradiol by intramuscular injection to the positive control group. The animals were sacrificed 90 days later, their sera were collected for determination of biochemical parameters, their right femoral bone was taken to detect the bone mineral density (BMD), left femoral bone to examine pathology of bone trabecula, and whole uterus was weighed to calculate the uterine index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PE could increase the BMD level, serum estradiol and inorganic phosphorus content, and uterine index, lower serum BGP, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), alkaline phosphatuse (AKP) and interleukin-6 levels. Pathological examination showed that in the model group, the cortex of bone thinned, bone trabecula thinned also, with poor integrity, distorted, broken and decreased in size, while in the PE groups, the above-mentioned changes were significantly alleviated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PE is effective in preventing and treating osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.
authors.affiliation: Outpatient Department of Anhui TCM College, Hefei 230061.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuan-jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jin-lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010052:Ovariectomy; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D028321:Plant Preparations; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase