Abstract:

BACKGROUND: There are rare reports about establishing an animal model of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility to establish an animal model of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats aged 6 months.
METHODS: Forty-eight female rats aged 6 months old were divided into sham operation group and ovariectomized group. Bilateral ovaries were removed in the ovariectomized group to establish osteoporosis models. A small amount of adipose tissue around the ovary was removed in the sham operation group. Body weight, wet weight of the uterine, alkaline phosphatase, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, bone mineral density and bone mineral content were measured at 1, 2 and 3 months after modeling.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 1, 2, 3 months after modeling, the ovariectomized rats had a significantly increase in the body weight as well as a decreased in wet weight of the uterine (P < 0.05). Serum alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase levels in the ovariectomized group were significantly higher than those in the sham operation group at 1 and 3 months, respectively (P < 0.05). Serum alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase levels had a slight increasing tendency with aging in rats. After 2 and 3 months, bone mineral density in the ovariectomized group was significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that the animal model of osteoporosis can be established successfully in ovariectomized rats aged 6 months.