Physiological plasma levels of androgens reduce bone loss in the ovariectomized rat

The effect of androstenedione (ADIONE) slow-release pellets on cancellous bone volume (BV/TV) at the tibial metaphysis was investigated in ovariectomized (OVX) rats at various times from 21 to 180 days. Plasma levels of ADIONE and testosterone (T) in OVX rats were significantly reduced at 21 days and were restored close to levels in the sham rats with the 1.5-mg ADIONE pellet. OVX animals with and without ADIONE pellets resulted in close to a 50% reduction in BV/TV, by day 21. By day 180, OVX rats had only approximately 5% BV/TV, whereas that in ADIONE-treated OVX rats was significantly greater at approximately 12%. The reduced BV/TV was associated with increased bone resorption and formation. In a separate 90-day experiment, we found that the antiandrogen, Casodex, abrogated the ADIONE-induced skeletal-protective effect in OVX rats, whereas the antiaromatase, Arimidex, had no effect. This provides evidence that ADIONE protects against the development of osteopenia in the estrogen-deficient rat and mediates its effect through androgens and not estrogens.