title: Short-term administration of water-soluble silicon improves mineral density of the femur and tibia in ovariectomized rats.
abstract: Silicon is important for the proper growth and development of bone and connective tissues. This study was designed to investigate if water-soluble silicon could be used for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Silicon (Si 20 mg/kg body weight/day) was administrated orally to 17-week-old ovariectomized (OVX) rats for 4 weeks. Silicon did not alter weight gain in OVX rats. Silicon supplementation significantly increased the bone mineral density of the femur (p < 0.05, vs. OVX control group) and tibia in OVX rats (p < 0.05, vs. OVX control group). Serum alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin, two bone formation biomarkers tested, were not significantly altered, but urinary calcium and phosphorous excretion tended to decrease with silicon supplementation. OVX rats with silicon supplementation showed a relatively higher serum CTx compared to the nonsupplemented OVX group (p < 0.01, vs. OVX control group). According to these results, short-term soluble silicon supplementation improved bone mineral density in OVX-induced osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Jae-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Kyeong
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yoon-Sok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Mi-Hyun
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D002118:Calcium / Q000652:urine; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005269:Femur / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood* / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000652:urine; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012825:Silicon / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012995:Solubility; D013977:Tibia / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium; D012825:Silicon