The preventive effect of the herbal formulation, "Dae-Bo-Won-Chun" (DBWC), on the progress of bone loss induced by ovariectomy (OVX) was studied in rats. From light microscope analyses, porous or erosive appearances were observed on the surface of trabecular bone of tibia in ovariectomized rats, whereas those of the same bone in sham-operated rats were composed of fine particles. The trabecular bone area and trabecular thickness in ovariectomized rats decreased by 50% from those in sham-operated rats, these decreases were completely inhibited by administration of DBWC at a concentration of 10 mg/kg per day for 7 weeks. The mechanical strength of the neck of the femur was decreased by ovariectomy, and this was significantly suppressed by the administration of DBWC. Serum phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and thyroxine levels in ovariectomized rats increased compared with those in sham-operated rats, and increases were completely inhibited by the administration of DBWC. These results strongly suggest that DBWC is effective in preventing the development of bone loss induced by ovariectomy in rats.
Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.