Vitamin E prevents steroid-induced osteonecrosis in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
Prevention of osteonecrosis after corticosteroid administration would be important. We examined the potential of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) to reduce the incidence of corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis in an animal model.


METHODS
Japanese white rabbits were divided into 2 groups; the control group was fed a normal diet and the experimental group was fed alpha-tocopherol-supplemented diet in which alpha-tocopherol (600 mg/kg diet) was added to the normal diet. To induce osteonecrosis, high-dose methylprednisolone acetate (MPSL) (20 mg/kg body weight) was injected once into the right gluteus medius muscle of all rabbits. 4 weeks after the injection of MPSL, the presence or absence of osteonecrosis of bilateral femurs was examined histopathologically. The tocopherol/cholesterol ratios were calculated. The plasma levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were measured.


RESULTS
Alpha-tocopherol-supplemented diet reduced the incidence of osteonecrosis, which developed in 14 of 20 rabbits in the control group and 5 of 21 rabbits in the experimental group (p = 0.004). The tocopherol/cholesterol ratio was higher in the experimental group than in the control group after the alpha-tocopherol administration. The plasma TBARS level was lower in the experimental group than in the control group at 4 weeks after the MPSL administration.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings may offer a new approach for the prevention of corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis.
Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Masaaki
M
Kuribayashi
Mikihiro
M
Fujioka
Kenji A
KA
Takahashi
Yuji
Y
Arai
Masashi
M
Ishida
Tsuyoshi
T
Goto
Toshikazu
T
Kubo
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011817:Rabbits; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014815:Vitamins; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D008775:Methylprednisolone