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The Creation of a Rat Model for Osteosarcopenia via Ovariectomy
Published on: February 21, 2025
Ovariectomy-induced hyperphagia does not modulate bone mineral density or bone strength in rats
Jessica M Y Jiang1, Sandra M Sacco, Wendy E Ward
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E2.
The Journal of Nutrition
|October 22, 2008
Summary
Ovariectomy in rats causes overeating and weight gain, but pair-feeding to control food intake does not significantly alter bone mineral density or strength, suggesting it may not be essential for osteoporosis research.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Science
- Osteoporosis Research
- Animal Models
Background:
- The ovariectomized (OVX) rat is a key model for postmenopausal osteoporosis studies.
- Ovariectomy can induce hyperphagia, leading to weight gain and adiposity, potentially confounding bone studies.
- The necessity of pair-feeding to control food intake in OVX rat models is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether pair-feeding versus ad libitum feeding affects bone mineral and strength in OVX rats.
- To determine if ovariectomy-induced hyperphagia and weight gain confound bone outcomes in preclinical osteoporosis research.
Main Methods:
- Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham-operated (SHAM), OVX pair-fed (OVX-PF), and OVX ad libitum (OVX-AL) groups.
- Food intake and body weight were monitored for 14 weeks.
- Bone mineral density (BMD), body composition, and femur/lumbar vertebrae biomechanical strength were assessed.
Main Results:
- OVX-AL rats exhibited increased food intake, body weight, weight gain, and fat mass compared to SHAM and OVX-PF rats.
- SHAM rats showed higher femur and lumbar vertebrae BMD and strength than both OVX groups.
- No significant differences in bone outcomes were observed between OVX-PF and OVX-AL groups.
Conclusions:
- Ovariectomy-induced hyperphagia and subsequent weight gain do not appear to modulate bone mineral density or biomechanical strength at 14 weeks post-surgery.
- Pair-feeding may not be essential for controlling food intake in OVX rat models for osteoporosis research, as bone outcomes did not differ significantly between feeding groups.
