The Effects of Atorvastatin on the Prevention of Osteoporosis and Dyslipidemia in the High-Fat-Fed Ovariectomized Rats

Abstract

Previous studies reported that statins showed positive effects on bone in both human and animal models. This study aimed to investigate the effects of atorvastatin on the prevention of osteoporosis and dyslipidemia in ovariectomized rats fed with high-fat emulsion. The 3-month-old female rats were subjected to either sham operations (n = 8) or ovariectomized operations (OVX, n = 24). The OVX rats were orally administered deionized water (n = 8) or standardized high-fat emulsion without (n = 8) or with atorvastatin (n = 8). All rats were injected twice with calcein before sacrificed for the purpose of double in vivo labeling. After 12 weeks, all rats were sacrificed under anesthesia. Biochemistry, histomorphometry, mechanical test, micro-computed tomography analysis, mechanical test, histology, and component analysis were performed. We found that high-fat emulsion significantly decreased body weight, bone formation, collagen content of bone, and bone biomechanics, while increased blood, liver, and bone marrow lipids. Atorvastatin treatment prevented dyslipidemia, reversed hepatic steatosis, optimized composition of bone, and improved bone mechanical properties. The current study provided further evidence that atorvastatin might be useful for the treatment of osteoporotic patients with dyslipidemia.