title: A modified technique of rat tail suspension for longer periods of observation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rat tail suspension is an accepted method to create experimental osteopenia. However, suspension periods longer than 3 wk may cause tail skin sloughing or rat slippage. The hypothesis was that a traction system with skeletal anchorage through one tail vertebra would prolong the suspension time without significant complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 80 young adult female Wistar rats that were submitted to one of the following interventions: skeletal tail suspension (N = 20), skin tail suspension (N = 20), no intervention (N = 20), and a baseline control (N = 20). All animals were followed up either for 3 (N = 10) or 6 (N = 10) wk. Animals were assessed for clinical signs of stress and tolerance to suspension. The femur evaluation was in terms of mineral density content, mechanical resistance, and histomorphometry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All animals reached the 3-wk end point. However, for the 6-wk period, seven animals suspended by the skin traction method were discarded (70%) because of signs of stress and skin sloughing. In contrast, there was one loss in the skeletal suspension group (10%). All suspended animals developed similar osteopenia at 3 wk characterized by decreased bone mineral content, weakened bone resistance, and loss of femoral mass. At 6 wk, all suspended animals had similar osteopenic parameters, but they were not statistically different from those of the rats in the 3-wk groups. Therefore, suspension longer than 3 wk did not increase the bone deterioration in the femur.
authors: Laboratory of Bioengineering, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. mfalcai@gmail.com.br
authors: Mauricio J
authors: MJ
authors: Falcai
authors: Mario J Q
authors: MJ
authors: Louzada
authors: Francisco J A
authors: FJ
authors: de Paula
authors: Rodrigo
authors: R
authors: Okubo
authors: Jose B
authors: JB
authors: Volpon
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors