JUSTIFICATION OF EXPERIMENTAL PREDNISOLON OSTEOPOROSIS PROPHYLAXIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/1728.2748.2026.105.37-42Keywords:
rats, prednisolone, bone resorption and formation markers, prevention, dioscorea, hops, black cohosh, minerals, vitaminsAbstract
Background. One of the recognized factors in the development of secondary osteoporosis is long-term glucocorticoid therapy, which increases the risk of bone fractures and disability. To prevent the symptoms of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, patients are prescribed bisphosphonates, which have numerous side effects. Therefore, it is relevant to develop and search for a safe and effective alternative to bisphosphonates—specifically, preventive regimens for protecting bone tissue during prolonged steroid administration. Based on the pathogenesis of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, we have theoretically substantiated the composition of such agents, but their osteoprotective efficacy requires experimental confirmation under conditions of prednisolone administration. The aim of this study was to determine the osteoprotective efficacy of a complex containing biologically active substances of dioscorea, hops and black cohosh, lecithin, vitamins, and macro- and microelements during long-term administration of prednisolone to female laboratory rats.
Methods. The experiment was conducted on 30 female rats: 10 were intact, 10 received daily prednisolone at a dose of 5 mg/kg, and 10 received prednisolone together with the complex of substances. The duration of the experiment was two months. In the rats' femoral bones, bone density and mineral and organic component contents were measured. In the animals' blood, markers of bone resorption (Beta-CrossLaps—type I collagen fragments, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity) and osteogenesis indicators (alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin, and vitamin D content) were analyzed.
Results. Prolonged prednisolone administration in rats led to a reduction in femoral bone density due to decreased mineral content, increased bone resorption markers, and suppression of osteogenesis indicators in the blood. The proposed prophylactic regimen for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis demonstrated pronounced osteoprotective efficacy according to the analyzed parameters in the femoral bones and blood of the rats.
Сonclusions. The experimentally confirmed effectiveness of the complex is attributed to the balanced composition of its components, which include dioscorea, hops and black cohosh with estrogen-like properties, essential minerals, B-group vitamins present in spirulina, lecithin, and vitamins D3 and K. The multifunctional properties of the proposed prophylactic complex and the obtained results support its potential for clinical use under conditions of prolonged glucocorticoid administration.
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