Sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate increases bone mass in ovariectomized rats

Bisphosphonates are synthetic pyrophosphate analogs that can be used for th e treatment of osteoporosis. Sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate, as a pyropho sphate analog, may be useful in the clinical setting for osteoporosis. In t his study, an ovariectornized rat model is used to evaluate the effects of orally administered sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate on bone mass. Thirty-s ix female rats were used in this study. They randomly were divided into six groups: a negative normal control group, a positive osteoporosis control g roup, and ovariectomized groups treated either with alendronate sodium (one group) or sintered dicalcium-pyrophosphate (three groups, each at a differ ent level). The animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks after treatment. For all the rats, whole blood samples were obtained for the biochemical study. Bon e ashes of long bones were measured and studied and histologic studies of c ancellous bone were carried out. The ingestion of either alendronate or sin tered dicalcium pyrophosphate did not have any deleterious effect on the ma jor visceral organs. Ingestion of alendronate or sintered pyrophosphate dec reased the bony porosity and increased bone mineral contents in the long bo nes of ovariectomized rats. Thus sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate can incre ase bone mass in the ovariectomized rat. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.