title: Effect of low-magnitude whole-body vibration combined with alendronate in ovariectomized rats: a random controlled osteoporosis prevention study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alendronate (ALE) is a conventional drug used to treat osteoporosis. Low-magnitude whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise has been developed as a potential treatment for osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether low-magnitude WBV could enhance the protective effect of ALE on bone properties in ovariectomized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 128 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (SHAM, OVX+VEH, OVX+WBV, OVX + ALE, OVX+WBV+ALE). The level of WBV applied was 0.3 g at 45-55 Hz for 20 min/day, 5 day/week and for 3 months. ALE was administered in dose of 1 mg/Kg once a week. Every four weeks eight rats from each group were sacrificed and their blood and both tibiae were harvested. The expression of osteocalcin and CTX in serum was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the tibiae were subjected to metaphyseal three-point bending and μCT analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Osteocalcin rose after ovariectomy and was not appreciably changed by either alendronate or WBV alone or in combination. Alendronate treatment significantly prevented an increase in CTX. WBV alone treatment did not alter this effect. Compared with the OVX+WBV group, nearly all tested indices such as the BV/TV, TV apparent, Tb.N, Tb.Th, and Conn.D were higher in the OVX+ALE group at week 12.Compared with the OVX+WBV group, certain tested indices such as BV/TV, TV apparent, Tb.N, and Con.D, were higher in the OVX+WBV+ALE group at week 12. At week 12, tibiae treated with WBV+ALE exhibited a significantly higher Fmax compared to the OVX+VEH group, and a significant difference was also found in energy absorption between the OVX+WBV+ALE and OVX+VEH groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the WBV, ALE was more effective at preventing bone loss and improved the trabecular architecture. However, WBV enhanced the effect of alendronate in ovariectomized rats by inducing further improvements in trabecular architecture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China; Department of Orthopedic, the First Hospital of Putian City, Fujian Province, Putian City, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Xian
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of ophthalmology, The People's Hospital of Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiu-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ruo-Ting
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D015675:Osteocalcin