Ding Shuai, Zhang Guangquan, Gao Yanzheng, Hou Zhiqiang, Shao Fuqiang
Department of Spine and Spinal Cord Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, No. 7 Weiwu Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450003, Henan, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 20;15(1):2535. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-86594-8.
The use of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has demonstrated effectiveness in the management of femoral head osteonecrosis as well as nonunion fractures; however, the effects of PEMF on preventing glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) have not been extensively studied. The aim of this investigation was to explore the effectiveness of PEMF stimulation in averting GIOP in rats and uncover the potential fundamental mechanisms involved. A total of seventy-two adult male Wistar rats composed the experimental group and were subsequently assigned to three groups for treatment. (1) On the first day (day 0), 24 rats in the PEMF group were intravenously injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a concentration of 10 μg/kg. This was followed by intramuscular injections of methylprednisolone acetate (MPSL) at a dose of 20 mg/kg for the subsequent three days (days 1-3). Subsequently, the rats were exposed to PEMF for 4 h daily, with the duration varying from 1 to 8 weeks. (2) Adhering to the injection schedule of the PEMF group, the MPSL group (consisting of 24 rats) was administered LPS and MPSL, omitting PEMF stimulation. (3) The PS group (n = 24) was administered injections of 0.9% saline solution in an identical manner and at the same time intervals as the other two groups. At 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the last MPSL (or saline) injection, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and the expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) mRNA and protein in the proximal femur were measured. Analysis of the PS and PEMF groups at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the final saline (or MPSL) injection revealed no statistically significant differences in BMD or BMC (P > 0.05). From weeks 2 through 8, the MPSL group rats displayed a marked decrease in BMD and BMC compared to those of the PS group, and at the 4-week and 8-week time points, these values were significantly lower than those of the PEMF group (P < 0.05). Compared with those in the MPSL and PS groups, the expression levels of BMP-2 mRNA markedly increased after PEMF treatment, peaking one week later and sustaining a heightened state for four weeks, but decreased only at the eighth week. Conversely, BMP-2 protein expression exhibited a similar upward trend, peaking two weeks after PEMF treatment and then remaining elevated for the subsequent eight weeks. PEMF stimulation has been shown to have prophylactic potential against GIOP in rats, possibly through the upregulation expression of BMP-2 expression.
脉冲电磁场（PEMF）已被证明在治疗股骨头坏死以及骨折不愈合方面有效；然而，PEMF对预防糖皮质激素性骨质疏松症（GIOP）的影响尚未得到广泛研究。本研究的目的是探讨PEMF刺激对预防大鼠GIOP的有效性，并揭示其中潜在的基本机制。共有72只成年雄性Wistar大鼠组成实验组，随后被分为三组进行治疗。（1）第一天（第0天），PEMF组的24只大鼠静脉注射浓度为10μg/kg的脂多糖（LPS）。随后在接下来的三天（第1 - 3天）肌肉注射剂量为20mg/kg的醋酸甲基泼尼松龙（MPSL）。随后，大鼠每天接受4小时的PEMF照射，持续时间从1至8周不等。（2）按照PEMF组的注射方案，MPSL组（由24只大鼠组成）给予LPS和MPSL，但不进行PEMF刺激。（3）PS组（n = 24）以与其他两组相同的方式和相同的时间间隔注射0.9%的盐溶液。在最后一次注射MPSL（或盐水）后的1、2、4和8周，测量股骨近端的骨密度（BMD）、骨矿物质含量（BMC）以及骨形态发生蛋白-2（BMP-2）mRNA和蛋白的表达水平。对最后一次注射盐水（或MPSL）后的1、2、4和8周的PS组和PEMF组进行分析，结果显示BMD或BMC无统计学显著差异（P > 0.05）。从第2周到第8周，与PS组相比，MPSL组大鼠的BMD和BMC显著降低，并且在第4周和第8周时间点，这些值显著低于PEMF组（P < 0.05）。与MPSL组和PS组相比，PEMF治疗后BMP-2 mRNA的表达水平显著增加，在一周后达到峰值，并在四周内保持升高状态，但仅在第八周下降。相反，BMP-2蛋白表达呈现类似的上升趋势，在PEMF治疗后两周达到峰值，随后在接下来的八周内保持升高。已证明PEMF刺激对大鼠GIOP具有预防潜力，可能是通过上调BMP-2的表达来实现的。
