RESUMO
Senile osteoporosis (SOP) is a systemic bone disease characterized by increased susceptibility to fractures. The pathogenesis of SOP is complex and not well understood. Currently, the rapid aging model mouse, senescence accelerated mouse prone 6 (SAMP6), is an ideal model for studying the mechanisms of SOP development and exploring its prevention and treatment. This model exhibits characteristics including increased bone fragility, degradation of bone microstructure, loss of bone matrix, and abnormal metabolism and dysfunction of bone cells, faithfully replicating the process of SOP occurrence and progression at both macroscopic and microscopic levels.
RESUMO
Objective: To explore the mechanisms of acupuncture in improving osteoporosis. Methods: In this study, the expression of OPG and BMP-2 proteins of femur in SAMP6 control group, SAMP6 acupuncture group, SAMP6 sham-acupuncture group and SAMR1 control group were determined by Western Blot technique. Results: Compared with SAMR1 control group, the expression of OPG and BMP-2 proteins of the femur in SAMP6 control mice decreased obviously. Acupuncture could stimulate the expression of OPG and BMP-2 and no differences were detected between the SAMR1 control group and SAMP6 acupuncture group. Conclusion: Osteoporosis observed in SAMP6 was correlated with low expression of OPG and BMP-2. After acupuncture treatment, both of them showed increased expression, it suggested that the curative effects of acupuncture on osteoporosis were partly due to stimulating skeleton formation, inducing the production of some local factors of bone metabolism and decreasing the bone turnover rate.