J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2013 Dec;54(6):461-466. 10.3340/jkns.2013.54.6.461.

Therapeutic Advantages of Treatment of High-Dose Curcumin in the Ovariectomized Rat

• Cho DC
• Jung HS
• Kim KT
• Jeon Y
• Sung JK
• Hwang JH

• KMID: 2190940
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2013.54.6.461

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Although curcumin has a protective effect on bone remodeling, appropriate therapeutic concentrations of curcumin are not well known as therapeutic drugs for osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the bone sparing effect of treatment of low-dose and high-dose curcumin after ovariectomy in rats.
METHODS
Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either a sham operation (the sham group) or bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). The ovariectomized animals were randomly distributed among three groups; untreated OVX group, low-dose (10 mg/kg) curcumin administered group, and high-dose (50 mg/kg) curcumin group. At 4 and 8 weeks after surgery, serum biochemical markers of bone turnover were analyzed. Bone histomorphometric parameters of the 4th lumbar vertebrae were determined by micro-computed tomography (CT). In addition, mechanical strength was determined by a three-point bending test.
RESULTS
High-dose curcumin group showed significantly lower osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and the telopeptide fragment of type I collagen C-terminus concentration at 4 and 8 weeks compared with the untreated OVX group as well as low-dose curcumin group. In the analyses of micro-CT scans of 4th lumbar vertebrae, the high-dose curcumin treated group showed a significant increase in bone mineral densities (p=0.028) and cortical bone mineral densities (p=0.036) compared with the low-dose curcumin treated group. Only high-dose curcumin treated group had a significant increase of mechanical strength compared with the untreated OVX group (p=0.015).
CONCLUSION
The present study results demonstrat that a high-dose curcumin has therapeutic advantages over a low-dose curcumin of an antiresorptive effect on bone remodeling and improving bone mechanical strength.

Keyword

Curcumin; Micro-computed tomography; Osteoporosis; Ovariectomy; Rat

MeSH Terms

Alkaline Phosphatase
Animals
Biomarkers
Bone Density
Bone Remodeling
Collagen Type I
Curcumin*
Female
Humans
Lumbar Vertebrae
Osteocalcin
Osteoporosis
Ovariectomy
Rats*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Alkaline Phosphatase
Collagen Type I
Curcumin
Osteocalcin

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Graph showing the serum levels of estrogen (estradiol, E2). Values are expressed as percentage of the serum levels of the sham group. *p<0.05 for the values of the untreated ovariectomy group compared with that of the sham group.

• 

  Fig. 2 Graphs showing the serum levels of osteocalcin (A), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (B), and type I collagen C-telopeptide (CTX-1) (C). Values are expressed as percentage of the serum levels of the sham group. *p<0.05 for the values of the low-dose or high-dose curcumin group compared with that of untreated ovariectomy (OVX) group, †p<0.05 for the values of the high-dose curcumin group compared with that of low-dose curcumin group.

• 

  Fig. 3 Representative micro-CT images of the 4th lumbar spine in the sham and experimental groups. The high-dose curcumin group had more trabecular bone structures compared with the low-dose curcumin group as well as the untreated ovariectomy (OVX) group.

• 

  Fig. 4 Bar graph showing the result of histomorphometric analyses of 4th lumbar vertebrae in the sham and experimental groups at 8 weeks post-operation : bone mineral density (BMD) (A), cortical bone mineral density (CrBMD) (B), trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) (C). All values represent 100% minus the percentage of the value of the sham group/the value of the experimental groups. *p<0.05 for the values of the low-dose or high-dose curcumin group compared with that of untreated ovariectomy (OVX) group, and †p<0.05 for the values of the high-dose curcumin group compared with that of low-dose curcumin group.

• 

  Fig. 5 The three point bending test showing greater maximal load value of the 4th lumbar vertebrae after experiment. *p<0.05 for the values of the high-dose curcumin group compared with that of untreated ovariectomy (OVX) group.

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