Prevention of osteopenia and dyslipidemia in rats after ovariectomy with combined aspirin and low-dose diethylstilbestrol.

Objective: To study whether effect of aspirin plus low-dose diethylstilbestrol is more effective and safer than high diethylstilbestrol dose alone on prevention of ovariectomy-induced osteopenia and dyslipidemia.

Methods: Thirty-eight 4-month-old female SD rats were divided into baseline (BAS) group (n=6), sham operation group (n=8) and ovariectomy (OVX) group (n=24). The OVX group was further divided into vehicle treatment group (n=8), diethylstilbestrol (30 μg/kg•d) treatment group (OVX+D30 group, n=8), and aspirin (9 mg/kg•d) plus diethylstilbestrol (10 μg/kg•d) treatment group (OVX+A-D10 group, n=8). Their left tibiae were collected for the bone histomorphometric analysis in undecalcified sections. Left femurs were collected for the bone mineral density measurement.

Results: The body weight and serum cholesterol were increased, while uterine weight and cancellous bone mass were decreased in OVX rats compared with the SHAM group. Cancellous bone mass was significantly increased, while body weight and bone resorption parameters were decreased in both A-D10 and D30 treatment group compared with OVX group. The rats treated with A-D10 showed significantly increased in bone formation parameters and decreased in serum triglyceride compared with the D30-treated rats.

Conclusion: Aspirin plus low-dose diethylstilbestrol can effectively prevent osteopenia by reducing bone resorption, and is thus a better treatment modality for preventing dyslipidemia than high-dose diethylstilbestrol alone.