title: Oral administration of hyaluronan reduces bone turnover in ovariectomized rats.
abstract: The effect of oral hyaluronan (HA) on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) 3-month-old rats was measured using serum markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density. OVX rats were administered 1 mg/kg HA (OVX + HA) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (OVX + PBS) by oral gavage (5 days/week for 54 days). Additional controls included sham ovariectomy with PBS gavage (Sham + PBS) and no treatment. Oral administration of HA resulted in approximately 50% (p < 0.05) increases in serum HA. Gel filtration analyses showed this was high molecular weight HA (300-500 kDa). Osteopenia was mild due to the young age of the animals. Thus, ovariectomy resulted in a 30% increase in serum collagen N-terminal telopeptides (p < 0.001), a 20% increase in serum nitrate/nitrite levels (p = 0.05), and a 5-6% decrease in femur bone mineral density/content (p < 0.05). HA gavage blunted the development of osteopenia in this model as determined by preventing the 30% increase in serum collagen N-terminal telopeptide levels (p < 0.001) and by reducing bone mineral content loss from 6 to 4%. These results show that oral supplements of HA (gavage solution, 0.12% solution) significantly reduce bone turnover associated with mild osteopenia in rats.
authors.affiliation: London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Center, Victoria Hospital, and Department of Biochemistry and Oncology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Patrick V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Granton
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Holdsworth
authors.forename: Eva A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Turley
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid