title: Regular exercise limits alcohol effects on trabecular, cortical thickness and porosity, and osteocyte apoptosis in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excessive alcohol consumption is known to be a cause of secondary osteoporosis whereas physical activity is recommended in prevention of osteoporosis. This study was designed to analyze the effects of physical exercise on bone parameters in chronic alcohol-fed rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided in four groups: Control (C), Alcohol (A), Exercise (E) and Alcohol+Exercise (AE). A and AE groups drank a solution composed of ethanol and water (35% volume/volume for 17 weeks). E and AE groups were submitted to treadmill training for 14 weeks (60 min/day, 5 times/week). Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by DXA, the trabecular and cortical microarchitectural parameters by microCT and serum osteocalcin, NTx and leptin concentrations by ELISA assays. Bone mechanical parameters were evaluated through mechanical testing. Osteocyte apoptosis was analyzed with cleaved caspase-3 immunostaining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol-fed rats had significantly lower body weight (-28%), fat (-46%) and lean mass (-25%) compared to controls. BMD (-8%), trabecular (-12%) and cortical thickness (-27%) were significantly lower with alcohol whereas porosity (+38%) and pore number (+42%) were higher. Exercise combined with alcohol prevented lower Tb.Th (+20%), Ct.Th (+30%), stress (+26%) and higher Ct.Po (-24%) and osteocyte apoptosis (-91%) compared to A. However, WB BMD (-4%) and femur BMD were still lower in AE versus C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regular physical activity has beneficial effects on some microarchitectural parameters in alcohol-fed rats. However, regular treadmill exercise does not compensate for the effects of heavy chronic alcohol consumption on whole body bone density.
authors: Inserm Unit U658, Characterization of Bone Tissue by Imagery, Orleans Regional Hospital, Orléans, France. Electronic address: db.maurel@gmail.com.
authors: Delphine B
authors: DB
authors: Maurel
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Boisseau
authors: Stéphane
authors: S
authors: Pallu
authors: Gaël Y
authors: GY
authors: Rochefort
authors: Claude-Laurent
authors: CL
authors: Benhamou
authors: Christelle
authors: C
authors: Jaffre
mesh_terms: D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010011:Osteocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Bone density; Microarchitecture; Osteocyte; Physical activity