title: Combined treatment with dexamethasone and raloxifene totally abrogates osteoporosis and joint destruction in experimental postmenopausal arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are often treated with corticosteroids. Loss of estrogen, the inflammatory disease and exposure to corticosteroids all contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Therefore, our aim was to investigate if addition of the selective estrogen receptor modulator raloxifene, or estradiol, could prevent loss of bone mineral density in ovariectomized and dexamethasone treated mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Female DBA/1-mice were ovariectomized or sham-operated, and CIA was induced. Treatment with dexamethasone (Dex) (125 μg/d), estradiol (E2) (1 μg/d) or raloxifene (Ral) (120 μg/day) alone, or the combination of Dex + E2 or Dex + Ral, was started after disease onset, and continued until termination of the experiments. Arthritic paws were collected for histology and one of the femoral bones was used for measurement of bone mineral density.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dex-treatment alone protected against arthritis and joint destruction, but had no effect on osteoporosis in CIA. However, additional treatment with either Ral or E2 resulted in completely preserved bone mineral density.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Addition of raloxifene or estradiol to dexamethasone-treatment in experimental postmenopausal polyarthritis prevents generalized bone loss.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 480, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. ulrika.islander@rheuma.gu.se
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Islander
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jochems
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stubelius
authors.forename: Annica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Marie K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lagerquist
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carlsten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007596:Joints / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D004958:Estradiol; D003907:Dexamethasone