Intermittent three-month treatment with Ukrain in intact and ovariectomized rats. Part III: Effect on the native electron paramagnetic resonance signal intensity of the femur.

Department of Orthopedics, Medical University, Chodzki 7, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.

Ukrain, an acid alkaloid derivative of Chelidonium majus L., was administered intraperitoneally to ovariectomized and sexually mature female control rats at doses of 7, 14 and 28 mg/kg once daily for 10 days, followed by a 10-day break. This procedure was repeated five times. At the end of the long-term treatment with Ukrain (24 h after the last dose of the drug) the left femora of the rats were harvested. Dried bones were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method. Significant changes in the intensity of the native signal were observed within the groups (ANOVA, p = 0.0001); the lowest value was observed in the ovariectomized rats treated with 28 mg/kg of Ukrain (decrease of 40.8% compared to the ovariectomized group, p = 0.005). A significant increase in the intensity of the signal was observed in the intact 7 mg/kg Ukrain-treated group (34.7% compared to controls, p = 0.004).

PMID: 11345048 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]