J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2010 Oct;48(4):309-312.

Bone Mineral Density Changes after Ovariectomy in Rats as an Osteopenic Model : Stepwise Description of Double Dorso-Lateral Approach

• Park SB
• Lee YJ
• Chung CK

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study describes a method for inducing osteopenia using bilateral ovariectomy (OVX), which causes significant changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in rats.
METHODS
Twenty-five 10-week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were used. Five rats were euthanized after two weeks, and BMD was measured in their femora. The other 20 rats were assigned to one of two groups : a sham group (n = 10), which underwent a sham operation, and an OVX group (n = 10), which underwent bilateral OVX at 12 weeks of age. After six weeks, five rats from each group were euthanized, and BMD was measured in their femora. The same procedures were performed in the remaining rats form each group eight weeks later.
RESULTS
The femur BMD was significantly lower in the six-week OVX group than in the six-week sham group, and in the eight-week OVX group than in the eight-week sham group.
CONCLUSION
Bilateral OVX is a safe method for creating an osteopenic rat model. The significant decrease in BMD appears six weeks after bilateral OVX.

Keyword

Animal model; Osteoporosis; Rat; Ovariectomy

MeSH Terms

Animals
Bone Density
Bone Diseases, Metabolic
Female
Femur
Humans
Models, Animal
Osteoporosis
Ovariectomy
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Salicylamides
Salicylamides