Establishment of a rabbit model of femoral head avascular necrosis using a large dose of hormone

Debao LIU; Haifu BU; Binjie GUI

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

There is not any experimental model that can reflect the pathological change of hormone-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in a good way nowadays, which is unfavourable to the further observation of its pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVE:

The model of the avascular necrosis of the femoral head is induced by giving a large dose of dexamethasone into rabbits, which provides the animal experimental models for the study of clinical pathogenesis. DESIGN, TIME AND

SETTING:

The randomized controlled animal experiment was performed at the Animal Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2004 to August 2005. MATERIALS Sixteen healthy adult New Zealand albino rabbits (50% female and 50% male), weighing 3.0-3.2 kg were selected for this study. Dexamethasone was provided by Jiangsu Lianshui Medical Co., Ltd. etalon 5 g/L.

METHODS:

Rabbits were randomly divided into two groups model and control groups. Dexamethasone of 2.5 mg/kg per day was injected into each rabbit of the model group, and saline of 2 mL was injected into each rabbit of the control group for 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Serum lipid and prothrombin time (pt) were tested before and after the experiment, and the histopathological change was observed with radiography, optical microscrope and transmission electron microscopy at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of dexamethasone administration.

RESULTS:

Compared with the control group, in the model group cholesterin levels were significantly increased at 2 weeks (P