Pharmacological study on the potential effect of antidepressant(s) on ovariectomized-induced osteoporotic rats

Abstract

fulfill the aim 48 adult female rats weighting from 160-200 grams were used. They were divided into six groups of 8 animals by random selection as follows (1) Control group, (2) Sham group, (3) Ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic group, (4) Estradiol treatment group at a dose 0.125 mg/kg/day (5) Imipramine treatment group at a dose 15 mg/kg/day (6) Fluoxetine treatment group at a dose 20 mg/kg/day. Osteoporosis was induced by bilateral ovariectomy in groups 3, 4, 5 and 6. Two weeks after operations, treatments started with Estradiol, Imipramine and Fluoxetine for 14 consecutive days. Two weeks after last day of treatment, rats were subjected to behavioral depression tests. 48 hours following behavioral tests rats were anaesethized by ether, blood samples were collected and centrifuged at 2000x g for 15 minutes to obtain serum and preserved at -20˚C until analyzed. The right and left femoral bone were excised, cleaned from soft tissue and preserved at -80˚C until analyzed. Bone turnover biomarkers (serum calcium (Ca), serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum osteocalcin, femur osteoprotegrin (OPG), OPG/RANKL ratio and femur receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) were determined. Histopathological examination and Electron Microscope examination of trabecular femoral bone was performed and the trabecular morphological parameters were determined by computed tomography CT.