Differential response of risedronate on tibial and mandibular bone quality in glucocorticoid-treated growing rats

Glucocorticoids induce bone loss and retard bone growth in children. In this study we investigated the effect of treatment with risedronate on glucocorticoid -prednisolone-induced decreases in bone density, quality, strength and growth of the tibia and mandible in growing rats. Trabecular and cortical bone structure was measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and three-dimensional (3D) micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Indicators of bone strength were calculated from cortical bone density and the modulus of sections obtained from pQCT analysis. Tibial and mandibular bone sizes were also measured. Prednisolone decreased the bone growth of both tibia and mandible. It also caused deterioration of trabecular and cortical bone structure and strength in the mandible, and in cortical bone in the tibia, but had no effect on trabecular bone in the tibia. Risedronate inhibited the prednisolone-induced decreases in tibial width and mandibular length and height but did not improve the retardation of longitudinal bone growth. Risedronate prevented prednisolone-induced deterioration of trabecular and cortical bone architecture. In the mandible, this protective effect of risedronate was accompanied by an increase in cortical bone density and in bone strength. These findings show that risedronate inhibits prednisolone-induced loss of bone density, structure, decrease in bone strength, and retardation of bone growth in the mandible in young growing rats. (author)