Bone Density and Morphology of Mammary Glands of Ovariectomized Rats Treated with Combined Raloxifene and AlendronateN. Tad-Urai and N. Sookvanichsilp*
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Osteoporosis is the most prevalent disease among postmenopausal women, resulting from a decrease in circulating estrogens. Estrogens, raloxifene and alendronate are among the commonly used drugs for the management of osteoporosis. The relationship between estrogens and the risk of breast cancer is well documented; however, few data are available for other drugs. Recently, many studies have demonstrated the benefits of combined antiresorptive drugs in preventing bone loss. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of raloxifene in combination with alendronate on bone density and also to investigate the effect of the drug combination on morphology of the mammary glands. Female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-240 g were divided into 5 groups of 8-9 animals each, i.e. sham, ovariectomized control rats and ovariectomized rats treated with raloxifene at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day, alendronate at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day, and the drug combination. Treatment was given orally for 8 weeks. At the end of treatment, the right femur and tibia as well as mammary glands were carefully removed for determination of bone density and morphological changes, respectively. The results demonstrated that raloxifene either alone or in combination with alendronate could significantly increase the relative femoral and tibial bone density compared to ovariectomized rats and restore bone length to the sham levels. The drugs, alone or as a combination, exhibited neutral effects on morphology of the mammary glands. The present study provides evidence to support the benefit of combined antiresorptive drugs, raloxifene and alendronate, on the bone without increasing risk to develop disease of the mammary glands.
Keyword:
alendronate, antiresorptive drugs, raloxifene, Bone Density, Osteoporosis
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