title: [Preventive and therapeutic effect of strontium ranelate on osteoporosis in rats subjected to simulated weightlessness].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of strontium ranelate on osteoporosis induced by simulated weightlessness in male rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, namely the normal control group (group A) and two groups of weightlessness simulated by tail suspension (groups B and C). The rats in group C were treated with strontium ranelate, and those in the other two groups were given the same dose of normal saline for 28 consecutive days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rats in group B showed significantly lower levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) than those in group A (P<0.05), but serum calcium and phosphonium concentrations underwent no significant changes in the 3 groups (P>0.05). In the rats of group B, the trabeculae of the femur became thinner, fragile, and discontinuous with reduced quantity as compared with those in group A. The rats in group C had greater number of the trabeculae than those in group B with decreased resorption surface and more regular arrangement of the collagen fibers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strontium ranelate may produce beneficial effect on the bone microstructure, reduce bone loss and stimulate bone formation in male rats subjected to simulated weightlessness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282. yangrui91@163.com.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: De-hong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A-na
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013876:Thiophenes; C081587:strontium ranelate