Article

Although the definite cause of steroid-induced
osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is unknown, peripheral circulatory
failure, lipid metabolism disturbance, and increased oxidative stress are
considered to be possible causes. We investigated whether pravastatin as a statin
treatment reduces (1) the incidence of ONFH, (2) the adipocyte area, and (3) bone
marrow changes in the femoral head. METHODS: We divided up 81 thirteen-week-old
spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone (SHRSP)/Izm male rats into 4 groups: a
control group (group C), a group given pravastatin (group P), a group given
steroid (group S), and a group given both pravastatin and steroid (Group PS). The
steroid was administered at 15 weeks of age. Pravastatin, as a statin, was
administered in the drinking water for 4 weeks. The rats were killed when 17
weeks old. Osteonecrosis was diagnosed based on histopathological examination.
Oxidative stress was assessed from immunostaining. RESULTS: The incidence of
histological osteonecrosis was lower in the groups given pravastatin. The
percentage of adipocyte area in the bone marrow was lower in the PS group than in
the S group. Immunohistochemical staining for oxidative stress showed that
staining was less in the PS group than in the S group. Pravastatin had no effect
on the blood-derived biochemical findings on lipid metabolism. However, it
reduced the incidence of steroid-induced ONFH in these SHRSP rats. We presume
that this occurred by reducing oxidative stress and by reducing the percentage of
adipocyte area in the femoral heads. INTERPRETATION: Our data suggest that
pravastatin may be effective in reducing steroid-induced ONFH.

Langue : ANGLAIS