Skeletal deterioration following ovarian failure

Authors: Hélder Fonseca Daniel MoreiraGonçalves Francisco Amado José L Esteves José Alberto Duarte

Publish Date: 2014/10/09

Volume: 33, Issue: 6, Pages: 605-614

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Abstract

Findings on experimental animals show that ovarian failure is a ccompanied by a decrease in motor activity As mechanical loading has a vital role in the maintenance of skeletal health our aim was to determine to what extent this decrease in motor activity contributes to ovariectomyinduced bone loss Thirtytwo female Wistar rats were ovariectomized or shamoperated and housed in standard cages or with access to running wheels for 36 weeks with their running distance monitored Markers of bone turnover were assayed in the serum and bone geometry trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture mineralization degree and biomechanical properties were assessed in the femur Differences between groups were determined by oneway ANOVA Although reduced motor activity and sex steroid deficiency both resulted in decreases in trabecular bone volume trabecular number decreases were mostly associated with sex steroid deficiency whereas trabecular thickness decreases were mostly associated with sedentary behavior Cortical bone appeared to be more sensitive to variations in motor activity whereas bone turnover rate and bone tissue mineralization degree seemed to be primarily affected by sex steroid deficiency even though they were further aggravated by sedentary behavior Increases in femur length were mostly a consequence of sex steroid deficiency whereas femoral neck length was also influenced by sedentary behavior Differences in mechanical properties resulted mostly from differences in physical activity Both the direct effect of sex steroid deficiency and the indirect effect of motor activity changes are implicated in bone loss following ovariectomyThe authors thank Celeste Resende and Teresa Caldeira for their technical assistance and Robert Berry for kindly reviewing the manuscript This work was funded by Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology FTC grants PTDC/DES/103047/2008 and PTDC/DES/104567/2008 and scholarships SFRH/BPD/78259/2011 and SFRH/BPD/90010/2012 The Research Centre on Physical Activity Health and Leisure CIAFEL is supported by PestOE/SAU/UI0617/2011

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