ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To investigate improvement effect of Duzhong zhuanggu(DZ)pills on retinoic acid-induced osteopo-rosis in mice. METHODS:72 KM mice were randomized into blank control group(normal saline),model group(normal saline), positive control group (Xianling gubao capsule,0.50 g/kg),DZ pills high-dose,medium-dose and low-dose groups (1.90,0.95,0.48 g/kg,DZ-H,DZ-M,DZ-L groups),with 12 mice in each group. Except for blank control group,other groups were given ret-inoic acid intragastrically to induce osteoporosis model,and given relevant medicine intragastrically once a day,for 14 days. After last administration,body weight of mice was determined;the blood sample was collected from eyeball to determine the contents of serum calcium and phosphor;liver,spleen and thymus gland were collected to determine organ index;left femur was collected to determine bone wet weight,bone dry weight,length and diameter;right femur was collected to determine the area percentage, width and number of bone trabecula. RESULTS:Compared with blank control group,the body weight of mice in model group were decreased;the contents of serum calcium and phosphorus were increased;liver indexes and spleen indexes were increased, while thymus indexes were decreased;bone wet weight,bone dry weight,length and diameter were decreased;area percentage, width and number of trabecular were decreased,with statistical significance (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with model group, the contents of serum calcium were decreased in treatment groups,and the contents of serum phosphorus were decreased in positive control group,DZ-M and DZ-L groups. Thymus indexes were increased in positive control group,DZ-M and DZ-L groups,while liver indexes were decreased in positive control group;femur wet weight of positive control group as well as femur dry and wet weight,diameters of DZ-M were all increased. The percentage,width and number of bone trabecula were increased in positive con-trol group,DZ-H and DZ-M group,and the number of bone trabecula was increased in DZ-L group,with statistical significance (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:DZ pills have improvement effect on osteoporosis induced by retinoic acid in mice.