title: The preventive and therapeutic roles of phytoestrogen α-Zearalanol on osteoporetic rats due to ovariectomization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to observe the influence of phytoestrogen α-Zearalanol on ovariectomy-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 SD female rats were randomly divided into four groups: Sham group, OVX group (ovariectomized and fed estrogen), α-Zearalanol group (ovariectomized and fed α-Zearalanol) and untreated group (ovariectomized). Three weeks later after surgery, α-Zearalanol and estradiol valerate were administered by oral gavage for 12 weeks to the α-Zearalanol group and the OVX group, respectively. In contrast, the sham and untreated controls were treated with distilled water in a daily basis. After the treatments, uterus histomorphometry, bone mechanical strength, bone histomorphometry, bone mineral density (BMD) of femur, and serum biochemical indicators, such as serum E2, CT and PTH, as well as the levels of TNF and IL-1 were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BMD was overall declined rigorously in the OVX rats, and that could be mitigated through feeding on either estrogen or α-Zearalanol. Estrogen or α-Zearalanol was found to decrease the levels of serum ALP and BGP in OVX rats, while, α-Zearalanol was found to increase the levels of serum E2and CT, the thickness of the endometrium, and decrease the levels of PTH, TNF and IL-1 in serum in OVX rats. Feeding the OVX rats on α-Zearalanol improved the bone histomorphometric parameters impaired due to estrogen deficiency and enhanced the bone mechanical properties in the ovariectomized rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  α-Zearalanol treated rats reduced the resorption of bone, and showed a preventive and therapeutic effect of α-Zearalanol on postmenopausal osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Shaochun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, China.
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
keywords: Bone histomorphometric; Bone mechanical -properties; Bone mineral density; Osteoporosis; Ovariectomized rats; α-Zearalanol