title: Tanshinone prevents cancellous bone loss induced by ovariectomy in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the skeletal effects of total tanshinone in ovariectomized rats by analyzing cancellous bone histomorphometry of fourth lumbar vertebrae (LV4) and proximal tibial metaphyses (PTM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four-month-old Sprague-Dawley female rats were sham-operated and treated with vehicle or ovariectomized and treated with either vehicle, total tanshinone (200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), equivalent to 35 microg x kg(-1) x d(-1) of tanshinone II A and 16 microg x kg(-1) x d(-1) of cryptotanshinone), or 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (30 microg x kg(-1) x d(-1) as positive treatment group) starting one day post-surgery for 10 weeks. Double in vivo fluorochrome labeling was administered to all rats. The undecalcified longitudinal LV4 and PTM sections were cut and stained with Goldner's Trichrome (4-microm thickness) or unstained (8-microm thickness) for the bone histomorphometric analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease in trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb.N) and a significant increase in osteoclast surface (OCS/BS) and mineralizing surface (MS/BS) were found in both LV and PTM of vehicle-treated OVX rats compared with sham controls. Tanshinone completely prevented the decreases in BV/TV and Tb.N and the increase in OCS/BS in the LV4, and partially prevented the decreases in BV/TV and Tb.N in the PTM of OVX rats. In addition, tanshinone increased trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) whereas it did not alter MS/BS. Moreover, tanshinone had no effect on uterine weight and body weight of OVX rats. Estrogen treatment increased BV/TV and Tb.N and decreased OCS/BS, but, also markedly decreased MS/BS and increased uterine weight in OVX rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study demonstrated that the adequate supply of tanshinone prevented OVX-induced cancellous bone loss in rats through inhibition of elevated bone resorption.
authors.affiliation: Institue of Biomedical Engineering, West China Medical Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. cui_liao@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Liao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Tie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yu-yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Chun-mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Huai-qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000187:drug effects; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C021751:tanshinone; C078435:2-fluoro-17-ethynylestradiol; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol