Effect of intermittent three-month treatment with different doses of Ukrain on subregional bone mineral density of the femur of ovariectomized rats

Ukrain, thiophosphoric acid alkaloid derivative from Chelidonium majus L, w as administered i.p. to ovariectomized rats in doses of 7, 14 and 28 mg/kg every other day for 10 days, followed by a 10-day break, and the procedure was performed five times. At the end of long-term treatment with Ukrain (24 h after the last dose of the drug) the rats' right femora were harvested a nd the bone densitometric parameters of the whole bone and distal metaphyse al and basicervical subregions were assessed using the dual-energy X-ray ab sorptiometry (DXA) densitometric method The present results show a decrease in bone mineral density in groups of ovariectomized rats that received 7 m g/kg and 14 mg/kg of Ukrain versus untreated ovariectomized animals. Admini stration of Ukrain at a dose of 28 mg/kg did not significantly alter bone p arameters of ovariectomized rats.