INTERMITTENT THREE-MONTH TREATMENT WITH UKRAIN IN INTACT AND OVARIECTOMIZED RATS. PART I: EFFECT ON SELECTED BIOMECHANICAL PARAMETERS OF THE FEMUR

JABŁOŃSKI M.,¹ GORZELAK M.,¹ PATYRA M.,¹ JAGIEŁŁO-WÓJTOWICZ E.²

1) Department of Orthopedics, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.
2) Department of Toxicology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.

Address for correspondence: E. Jaglietio-Wojtowicz, Department of Toxicology, Medical University, Chodzki 7, 20-093 Lublin, Poland. Tel/Fax: +48-81-74732 14.

Summary: Ukrain, an acid alkaloid derivative from Chelidonium majus L., was administered intraperitoneally to intact and ovariectomized sexually mature female rats at doses of 7, 14 and 28 mg/kg once daily for 10 days, followed by 10-day break. This procedure was repeated five times. At the end of this Ukrain treatment (24 h after the last dose of the drug), the right femora of the rats were harvested and a three-point bending test until shaft failure was performed under standard conditions. Assembled data, including ultimate strength, ultimate energy at failure and ultimate displacement, were assessed. Strength and energy were adjusted to accommodate differences between groups in the end body weight. These results showed a decrease in adjusted bone strength of ovariectomized rats as compared to sham-operated animals. None of the three long-term doses of Ukrain (i.e., 7 mg/kg, 14 mg/kg and 28 mg/kg) significantly altered the bone strength when it was adjusted to the end body weight of the ovariectomized animals. Intact rats that received a 28 mg/kg dose of Ukrain demonstrated decrease of bone strength of 13.5% when it was adjusted to the end body weight.