Therapeutic effect of dietary boron supplement on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in rats

Therapeutic effect of dietary boron supplement on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in rats

1: Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2006 Dec;26(12):1785-8.

[Therapeutic effect of dietary boron supplement on retinoic
acid-induced osteoporosis in rats]

[Article in Chinese]

Xu P, Hu WB, Guo X, Zhang YG, Li YF, Yao JF, Cai QK.

Department of Orthopedics,
Xi'an Red Cross Hospital,
Xi'an 710054,
China.

OBJECTIVE:
To observe the therapeutic efficacy of dietary boron supplement on
retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in rats, so as to provide
experimental evidence for clinical management of osteoporosis
with boron.

METHODS: Thirty-two SD rats were randomized into normal
control group (8 rats) and osteoporotic group (24 rats), and
osteoporosis was induced in rats of the latter group by
intragastric retinoic acid administration at the daily dose of
80 mg/kg for 15 consecutive days. The osteoporotic rats were
subdivided into control group (8 rats) without treatment, boron
treatment group (8 rats) and estradiol treatment group
(8 rats). After 30 days of treatment, the serum contents of
Ca, P, boron and the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP)
and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in the rats
were assayed, the bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole
body, lumbar vertebrae and tibia were determined, and the
morphological changes of the femurs were observed.

RESULTS:
The serum contents of Ca and P in the rats of the 4 groups
differed scarcely, but the content of boron in boron
treatment group was markedly higher than that in the other
three groups. In the osteoporotic control group, the activities
serum AKP and TRAP, the masses of spongy bone and
cortical bone of the femurs, and the quantity of the osteoclasts
were increased, with the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and tibia
decreased, suggesting osteoporotic conditions. The mean trabecular
plate density and thickness, trabecular bone volume and cortical
bone volume of the femurs in the osteoporotic rats treated with
boron or estradiol were significantly increased, but the
active osteoclast quantity in the spongy bone and serum
TRAP activities were obviously decreased, and the bone quality
was comparable with that of the normal group. In addition,
the serum AKP activity and the active osteoblast
quantity in the spongy bone were obviously increased
in boron treatment group.

CONCLUSION:
The dietary boron supplement can increase the serum
content of boron of osteoporotic rats to stimulate bone
formation and inhibit bone resorption, producing therefore
obvious therapeutical effect against osteoporosis.

Publication Types:
English Abstract

PMID: 17259120 [PubMed - in process]