Effect of Bushen Jiangu decoction on ovariectomyinduced osteoporosis in rats

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effect of Bushen Jiangu Decoction (BJD) on osteoporosis (OS) in rats.Methods: The animals were divided into the following groups: control group, rats received no treatment; ovariectomy (OVX) group, rats subjected to OVX surgery and were treated with normal saline; OVX + Fosamax group, rats that received OVX and were treated with 2 mg/kg/week of Fosamax; low-dose BJD (40 mg/kg/day), medium-dose BJD (80 mg/kg/day) and high-dose BJD (160 mg/kg/day) groups, where rats received OVX surgery with BJD doses of 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg/day, respectively. At four weeks after treatment with OVX, Fosamax or BJD was orally administered for four months. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed, while serum hormone, serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), osteocalcin (OC) and telopeptides of collagen type I (CTx) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: The results demonstrated that the reduced BMDs of L4 femurs and vertebrae were inhibited by BJD. Furthermore, BJD significantly elevated the serum levels of FSH, E2 and LH in OS rats. Furthermore, the serum CTx, ALP and OC levels of these rats dramatically decreased, when compared to the OVX group.Conclusion: These findings suggest that BJD can improve OVX-induced OS.Keywords: Bushen Jiangu decoction, Osteoporosis, Bone mineral density, Serum biochemistry