Utility of the ovariectomized rat as a model for human osteoporosis in drug discovery

Ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in the rat produces skeletal responses similar to that in a post-menopausal woman. In the ovariectomized (ovx) rat, high bone turnover, and subsequent bone loss, like in the human post-menopausal condition, can be prevented by estrogen replacement. Because of the striking resemblance of skeletal responses in humans and rats in the state of estrogen deficiency, the ovx rat is considered to be a gold standard model for evaluating drugs for prevention and reversal of osteoporosis. This chapter describes the procedure for performing ovariectomy on the rat and the utility of the ovx rat model we have utilized over the last two decades in our laboratory.