Promotion of Fracture Healing by Vitamin E in Rats

Abstract

We investigated the effects of the antioxidant alphae-tocopherol on early- and late-phase fracture healing in a rat model. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups. The right tibia of each rat was fractured manually under anaesthesia, and fracture sites fixed with intramedullary Kirschner wires. The alpha-tocopherol group received 20 mg/kg alpha-tocopherol intraperitoneally; the control group received intraperitoneal saline injections. Ten rats from each group were sacrificed on day 15, day 45 and day 60. In the alpha-tocopherol group, malondialdehyde concentrations, a measure of lipid peroxidation associated with oxygen free radicals, were significantly decreased on day 15 and day 45 compared with the control group, but had regained the 15-day value on day 60. On histopathological and radiological assessment, fracture healing on day 60 was significantly more advanced in the alpha-tocopherol group. We conclude that alpha-tocopherol has a positive effect on both early and late-phase fracture healing, and may be beneficial in clinical fracture

Effects of α‐tocopherol on the early phase of osteoporotic fracture healing

“…The strain of rats and the methods of lipid peroxidation measurement were also different from ours. Turk et al 25 have demonstrated reduction in the MDA levels in rats supplemented with a-tocopherol during the early phase of fracture healing. However, the MDA was measured indirectly in the serum, which represented the general oxidative status rather than the lipid peroxidation activity at the fracture site.…”

“…The dose of vitamin E and route of administration were also different from our study. Furthermore, Turk et al 25 studied normal fracture healing whereas we studied fracture in osteoporotic bone. All these factors may have contributed to the different findings of the MDA levels in their studies.…”

“…25,26 The anti-oxidant role of a-tocopherol is even more crucial in the estrogen deficiency state which is associated with oxidative stress. 46,47 To confirm this hypothesis, we have measured lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidant enzyme activities directly in the fractured femur during the early phase of healing.…”

“…However, studies have shown mixed results on the effectiveness of a-tocopherol supplementation in facilitating fracture healing in normal animal models. [24][25][26] Maniam et al 35 have measured directly lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidant enzyme activities in the bones of vitamin E-supplemented rats. They found that a-tocopherol supplementation did not have any effects on the lipid Figure 2.…”

“…Sarisozen et al 24 could not find any changes in the callous indices after 2 weeks of tibial fracture in normal rats supplemented with a-tocopherol compared to unsupplemented rats. Turk et al 25 concluded that a-tocopherol has positive effects on both the early and late phase of fracture healing. Durak et al 26 investigated fracture healing in rabbits and found that supplementation with a-tocopherol resulted in better fracture healing after 21 days.…”