HISTOMORPHOMETRICAL EVALUATION OF ANTI-OSTEOPENIC EFFECT OF NASAL SALMON-CALCITONIN IN A TYPE-1 OSTEOPOROTIC MODEL OF RATS

it was examined histomorphometrically whether or not and how chronic t reatment with nasal salmon calcitonin (SCT) of rats could prevent ovar iectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporotic changes in the trabecular bone of t ibia. During 7 weeks on a synthetic low Ca diet after OVX, rats develo ped type 1 osteopenia which was defined by strut analysis as resulting mainly from loss in the connectivity of strut but in the thickness. A n intermittent dosing regimen of nasal SCT (10 or 40 U/rat/d, 3 d/week . for 7 weeks) was able to retard development of osteopenia in a dose- dependent manner, The results indicate that the nasal route would be u sable for chronic treatment of experimental osteoporosis with SCT and possibly other peptide anti-osteoporotics.