July - September 2014, Volume 10, Issue 3

Saklamaz A, Uyulgan B, Sevin G, Kebapcilar L, Yilmaz O, Cimrin D, Kumanlioglu K, Bayraktar F

The Effects of Raloxifene on Osteocalcin, as a Bone Turnover Marker in Orchiectomized Rats

Acta Endo (Buc) 2014, 10 (3): 340-351
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2014.340

Background. The aim of the present study was to measure the effects of raloxifene on bone metabolism and strength in orchiectomized male rats. Materials/Methods. Forty-three 4-month-old Wistar albino male rats were used and divided into 3 groups as orchiectomy (ORCX; n=23), sham (n=15), and control (n=5). Raloxifene (10 mg/kg/day) and methylcellulose (0.5 mL/day, as a vehicle treatment) treatments were initiated 2 months after ORCX for 2 months, then the rats were sacrificed. The left femur and fourth lumbar vertebrae (LV4) were measured to assess the effects of the orchiectomy and the raloxifene treatment and maintenance regimens. Bone strength was assessed using a compression test for the vertebrae and a three-point bending test for the femurs (N/mm). Results. Raloxifene increased femoral and vertebral bone strength in osteoporotic rats, but this increase was not statistically significant. Bone strength was found to be 267.44±18.03 in the femurs of the ORCXraloxifene group and 246.32±49.37 in the femurs of the ORCX-C group (p>0.05). Vertebral bone strength was 147.78±09.51 in the ORCX-raloxifene group and 114.61±05.93 in ORCX-C group (p=0.488). Raloxifene also increased the femoral and vertebral bone density compared with the control group, but the change was not significant. While raloxifene significantly decreased the serum osteocalcin levels (p=0.007), it did not decrease the carboxyterminal cross-linking telopeptide of bone collagen (CTX) levels significantly (p=0.066). Conclusions. Raloxifene caused a statistically significant decrease in serum osteocalcin levels and a non-significant reduction in NTX levels in orchiectomized rats.

Keywords: Osteoporosis, male, Raloxifene, rat.

Correspondence: Ali Saklamaz MD, Sifa University, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fevzipasa Blv. No:172/2, Basmane Konak, Izmir, 35240, Turkey, E-mail: asaklamaz@hotmail.com