Combination of emodin with low dose estrogen showed synergetic effect on ovariectomy induced osteopeniain rats

?Objective To determine whether emodin in combination with low dose estrogen can completely prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats.Methods Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley female rats at age of 3 months were sham-operated and treated orally with vehicle,or ovariectomized(OVX) and treated orally with either vehicle or diaethylstibestrol or low dose diaethylstibestrol combination with emodin for 90 days.Double in vivo fluorochrome labeling was administrated.The undecalcified longitudinal proximal tibial metaphyseal sections were used for the bone histomorphometric analysis.Results After 90 days post OVX the cancellous bone mass and showed high bone turnover indices.The low dose of estrogen combinated with emodin treated group prevented bone loss equals to that the high dose of estrogen alone did.These two groups were shown to inhibit osteoclasts surface and decrese bone turnover rate.High dose of estrogen was found to inhigit growth and stimulate uterin and liver weight gain markedly while low dose of estrogen combinated with emodin did not stimulate uterin and liver weight markedly. Conclusions Use of low dose of estrogen plus emodin showed effect on prevention of OVX-induced cancellous bone loss in rats.