title: Effect of low-dose tacrolimus coadministered with raloxifene on the skeletal system in male rats.
abstract: Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressive drug, used to prevent organ transplant rejection. Immunosuppresants are known to unfavorably affect the osseous system. However, in our previous study on bone histomorphometric parameters we observed that low-dose tacrolimus intensified bone formation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of low-dose tacrolimus on bone mechanical properties and mineralization in male rats. The effects of concurrent administration of tacrolimus and raloxifene were also studied. Raloxifene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator, used in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In male rats raloxifene induces moderate intensification of bone mineralization. The experiments were carried out on mature male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four groups (n = 7): control rats, rats treated with tacrolimus (0.3 mg/kg po), rats treated with raloxifene hydrochloride (5 mg/kg po) and rats treated with tacrolimus and raloxifene hydrochloride concurrently at abovementioned doses. The drugs were administered daily for 4 weeks. Body mass, bone mass and bone mineral content in the tibia, femur and L-4 vertebra, as well as mechanical properties of the whole femur (extrinsic stiffness, ultimate and breaking load, deformation caused by the applied load) and the femoral neck (load at fracture) were examined. Administration of tacrolimus at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg po for 4 weeks did not affect bone mechanical properties and mineralization. Concurrent administration of tacrolimus and raloxifene resulted in changes similar to those caused by raloxifene alone (statistically significant increases in the bone mass/body mass ratio, bone mineral content/body mass ratio and bone mineral content/bone mass ratio in comparison with the control rats, and no effect on bone mechanical properties). Results of the present study do not support the hypothesis that tacrolimus may be useful as a drug stimulating bone formation in skeletal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, 4 Jagiellońska St., 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland. jfolwarczna@sum.edu.pl
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Folwarczna
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaczmarczyk-Sedlak
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pytlik
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nowińska
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cegieła
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sliwiński
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Janiec
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trzeciak
authors.forename: Henryk I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Trzeciak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001846:Bone Development / Q000187:drug effects; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D016559:Tacrolimus