Avaliação do efeito protetor do extrato de Gingko biloba na osteoporose induzida por glicocorticóide em ratas Wistar

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by the reduction of bone volume. Among the main causes of osteoporosis is the reduction of the levels of estrogen and the chronic use of glucocorticoids. Several products are used on the osteoporosis treatment, including natural products, among them some promising alternatives as the phytoestrogens. In vitro studies showed that the extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) has a estrogenic effect and a protect action on the osteoblasts cell. Therefore the EGb may be important in the treatment of osteoporosis. Methods: 72 female rats were divided into six groups: control, osteoporosis, positive control (sodium alendronate-0.2mg/Kg/day), EGb1 (14mg/Kg/day), EGb2 (28mg/Kg/day) and (56mg/Kg/day). Osteoporosis induction was done trough intramuscular injection of dexamethasone in a dose of 7mg/Kg, once a week, during five weeks. Treatments were conducted after osteoporosis induction for 20 and 30 days. Following euthanazia, the left mandibles were removed for the digital radiographic analysis. The cortical and the periodontal bone support (PBS) at the mesial and distal surfaces of the first molar were analyzed. For the histomorphometric analysis the right femurs and mandibles were removed to evaluate the percentage of the trabecular bone (PTB) of the femur epiphysis and the percentage of the alveolar bone (PAB) of the interradicular septum of the second molar. The control groups were compared with the osteoporosis group (Student’s t-test). The others groups, except the control groups, were analyzed by ANOVA test followed by Tukey or Dunnett’s post-hoc test (p<0.05). Results: It was observed trough the mandibular radiographic analysis that the glucocorticoid caused the PBS

reduction, the sodium alendronate recovered the percentage of PBS in the same way that EGb in the 28mg/kg/day and 56mg/kg/day doses in the treatments of 20 and 30 days. The EGb3 showed increase in the cortical mandibular thickness in the treatments of 20 and 30 days. Trough the histomorphometric analysis of the animals treated for 30 and 20 days, it was observed that glucocorticoids reduced the PTB of the femur and the PAB of the mandible (p<0,05). The positive control group (30 days) showed a statistical significant increase of the PTB of the femur when compared to the osteoporosis group (30 days). The PAB of the mandible in the positive control group showed no significant increase when compared to the osteoporosis group (20 and 30 days). The groups EGb1 and EGb2 groups showed an increase of the PTB of the femur when compared to the osteoporosis group (20 and 30 days), in the same way the EGb2 and EGb3 groups (20 days) and the EGb1, EGb2, and EGB3 groups (30 days) showed a statically significant increase of the PAB when compared to the osteoporosis group. Conclusion: The EGb recovered the effects oft glucocorticoid induced-osteoporosis in the evaluated parameters of this study, it suggests that the extract of Ginkgo biloba may be effective in the treatment of osteoporosis.