Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Estradiol produces great adverse effects in treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of small dose of estradiol combined with estradiol on bone tissue of ovariectomized rats.
METHODS: A total of 120 healthy female rats were randomly and evenly divided into five groups: sham-operated (only resection of a small block of para-ovarian fat pad), ovariectomized (without drugs), puerarin, estradiol, and puerarin + estradiol. One week later, rats from the puerarin, estradiol and puerarin + estradiol groups were subcutaneously injected with puerarin (50 mg/kg, once a day), estradiol (200 μg/kg, twice a week), estradiol puerarin (25 mg/kg, once a day) + (100 μg/kg, twice a week), respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the ovariectomized group, rat bone tissue was sparse, bone calcium and phosphorus levels as well as bone mineral density were significantly lower compared with sham-operated group (P < 0.01). After estradiol and/or puerain treatment, rat bone tissue morphology was obviously improved, and bone calcium and phosphorus levels and bone mineral density were significantly increased. The above-mentioned indices were similar after small dose of puerarin combined with estradiol treatment and high dose of puerarin combined with estradiol treatment. These findings suggest that small dose of estradiol combined with estradiol treatment yields satisfactory curative effects in treatment of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.