[Bone mineral density and biomechanical effects of Chinese herbal drug Yanhuogubao on experimental osteoporosis in rats].

OBJECTIVE

To explore bone mineral density and biomechanical effects of Chinese herbal drug Yanhuogubao on steroid hormone-induced osteoporosis in rats.

METHODS

Male, 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 7), the basal group, the age control group, the hormone group (4.5 mg/kg prednisone acetate, twice a week) and Yanhuogubao (1.5 g/kg/d) group. The bone mineral densities and the mechanical characters measurements of femurs and 5th lumbar vertebrae in every group were made by using DEXA and SWD-10 electronic universal material testing machine.

RESULTS

The bone mineral densities on femora and 5th lumbar vertebrae in hormone group decreased, and the loads imposed on the femoral trunk in three-point bending test decreased by 17.1% (P < 0.05), though the rest parameters tended to decrease in comparison with control group. In the meantime, Yanhuogubao can prevent prednisone acetate-induced the bone mineral densities and mechanical characters of femurs and lumbar vertebrae in rats from decline, compared with hormone group.

CONCLUSION

When steroid hormone was used for a long time, the bone mineral densities and mechanical characters of femora and 5th lumbar vertebrae in the rats would be led to decrease, on the contrary, Yanhuogubao could arrest the decline of bone mineral densities and mechanical characters of rat skeleton.