Effect of Combined Teriparatide and Monthly Risedronate Therapy on Cancellous Bone Mass in Orchidectomized Rats: A Bone Histomorphometry Study

This study investigated the effects of combined teriparatide (an anabolic agent) and monthly risedronate (an anti-resorptive agent) therapy on cancellous bone mass in orchidectomized (ORX) rats. Fifty 14-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized into five groups of ten animals each: sham-operation + vehicle; ORX + vehicle; ORX + risedronate (90 μg/kg subcutaneous, every 4 weeks); ORX + teriparatide (30 μg/kg subcutaneous, three times per week); and ORX + risedronate + teriparatide. After the 12-week experimental period, cancellous bone in the tibial proximal metaphysis was examined by static and dynamic histomorphometric analyses. ORX decreased bone volume per total volume (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb.N), and increased trabecular separation (Tb.Sp). Risedronate increased BV/TV and Tb.N above the sham control values, while teriparatide prevented the ORX-induced decrease in BV/TV and increased trabecular width (Tb.Wi) above sham control levels. Risedronate decreased Tb.Sp below control values, while teriparatide prevented the ORX-induced increase in Tb.Sp. The combination of teriparatide and risedronate further increased BV/TV and Tb.N and decreased Tb.Sp as a result of suppression of bone remodeling, compared with teriparatide alone. These results suggest that teriparatide and monthly risedronate exert different effects on cancellous bone structure and thus have additive effects on cancellous bone mass in ORX rats.