Biometric, histomorphometric, and biochemical profile in atorvastatin calcium treatment of female rats with dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis

Objective

To assess the effects of atorvastatin calcium in the treatment of dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis.

Methods

Osteoporosis induction consisted of the administration of an intramuscular dose of 7.5 mg/kg of body weight of dexamethasone, once a week for four weeks, except for the control animals (G1). The animals were divided into the following groups: G1 (control group without osteoporosis), G2 (control group with untreated osteoporosis), G3 (control group with osteoporosis treated with sodium alendronate 0.2 mg/kg) and G4 (group with osteoporosis treated with atorvastatin calcium 1.2 mg/kg). Serum alkaline phosphatase, bone alkaline phosphatase, and biometric and bone histomorphometric assessments were performed after 30 and 60 days of treatment onset.

Results

In relation to the biometric and histomorphometric analyses, at 60 days of treatment, G4 presented bone density (Seedor index), bone trabecular density, and cortical thickness of 0.222 ± 0.004 g/cm, 59.167 ± 2.401%, and 387,501 ± 8573 μm, respectively, with a positive and statistically significant difference (p < 0.05), in relation to G2. At 30 and 60 days of treatment, G4 presented statistically significant serum levels of alkaline phosphatase alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.05) that were higher than all groups (7.451 ± 0.173 μg/L and 7.473 ± 0.529 μg/L, respectively).

Conclusion

Treatment with atorvastatin calcium demonstrated the ability of this drug to increase osteoblastic activity and bone tissue repair activity, acting differently from alendronate sodium, which demonstrated predominantly antirebsorptive activity.