Testosterone treatment prevents spinal cord injury‐induced bone loss in male rats

Abstract

Our objective was to determine if testosterone enanthate (TE) attenuates bone loss in a rodent mid‐thoracic contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) model. Three month old male Sprague Dawley rats received Sham surgery (T8 laminectomy) + vehicle (V), 150 kdyne SCI + V (SCI 150), 250 kdyne SCI + V (SCI 250), SCI 250 + Low TE (2mg/week), or SCI 250 + High TE (7mg/week). SCI was induced via Infinite Horizons Impactor. Animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after injury. Bone structural parameters were assessed via histomorphometry at the proximal tibial metaphysis. SCI induced intensity‐dependent structural deficits, which were prevented by TE in a dose‐dependent manner. TE may provide treatment for SCI‐induced bone loss, thereby reducing the risk of fragility fractures. Sham (a) SCI 150 (b) SCI 250 (c) SCI 250 + Low T (d) SCI 250 + High T (e) Cancellous Bone Volume (%) 4.6 ± 0.9 c* 2.3 ± 0.3 0.8 ± 0.2 a*,e* 3.5 ± 0.5 4.6 ± 0.9 c* Trabecular Width (μm) 14.6 ± 1.1 c 11.8 ± 1.1 10.7 ± 1.1 a 12.5 ± 0.4 13.0 ± 0.5 Trabecular Number (#/mm) 3.7 ± 0.6 c* 2.4 ± 0.2 0.9 ± 0.2 a*,d,e* 3.3 ± 0.4 c 4.1 ± 0.7 c* Trabecular Separation (μm) 463 ± 189 c* 419 ± 36 c 1520 ± 322 a*,b,d*,e* 384 ± 106 c* 322 ± 75 c* Values are Means ± SE of n = 4–9/group. Letters a‐e indicate differences from respectively labeled groups at p < 0.05 or * p < 0.01. Work was supported by Veterans Department CDA‐2 to JFY.