Abstract:

BACKGROUND: In recent years, it is discovered that gallium nitrate can decrease bone conversion.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of gallium nitrate on the content of hydroxyapatite and collagen in rats with osteoporosis.
METHODS: The rats were divided into control group, osteoporosis group and gallium nitrate group. Osteoporosis rat models were made by cutting off the bilateral ovaries in the latter two groups. The rats in the gallium nitrate therapy group were treated with 1 mg/kg gallium nitrate, three times a week through abdominal cavity; those in the control and osteoporosis groups were administrated with normal saline. The rats in the three groups had free access to water and standard food. All the contents of hydroxypatite and collagen in osseous tissue were determined and analyzed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The content of hydroxyaptite between the osteoporosis group and normal control group was different significantly (P< 0.05); there were no significant differences among gallium nitrate therapy group, control group and osteoporosis group (P > 0.05), but the content of hydroxyaptite in the gallium nitrate group had increasing trend compared with that in the normal group. The level of collagen in osteoporosis group was obviously lower than that in normal control group and gallium nitrate therapy group (P < 0.05). When osteoporosis happened, the level of collagen in osteoporosis rats decreased and the content of hydroxyapatite was in the trend of increasing, and gallium nitrate could inhibit the process.