Marcelo Parra; Ingrid Romero & Sergio Olate

The aim of the present study was to conduct a histopathological analysis of an animal model in rats, which simulates the characteristics observable in bones of patients with osteoporosis. To this end, 10 female rats (Rattus norvegicus) Sprague Dawley of 12 weeks of development and approximately 200-250 g were used. Of these, 5 underwent bilateral ovariectomy (OVX), whereas the remaining 5 were used as control. After 12 weeks of ovariectomy in the experimental group, the animals were euthanized and the two femurs were collected, which were then sectioned to process their distal portion. All the animals survived at the end of the study without any signs of postoperative complications. In the experimental group (OVX), the histological images showed a decrease in the thickness of the cortical bone, a greater amount of cancellous bone, loss of the continuity of the periosteum and endostium around the bone matrix in addition to a greater amount of adipose tissue in the bone marrow, when compared with the control group. It can therefore be inferred that a histopathological phenotype can be found at 12 weeks post- ovariectomy that would be consistent with osteoporotic characteristics in adult rats.

PARRA, M.; ROMERO, I. & OLATE, S. Descriptive analysis of an induced osteoporosis model in rats (Rattus norvegicus) (Rattus norvegicus). Int. J. Morphol., 39(1):282-286, 2021.