Age-related changes in bone mineral density, cross-sectional area and strength at different skeletal sites in male rats

Age-related changes in bone mineral density (BMD), cross-sectional area and strength strain index (SSI) of the long bones in the limbs and first lumbar vertebra of male Wistar rats were measured by a peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) method. One hundred and ten rats aged 2-30 months were used. The results indicate that the total (cortical + trabecular), cortical and trabecular BMD values of the metaphysis and cortical BMD values of the diaphysis in the long bones varied for each bone and differed from those of the first lumbar vertebra. The total BMD of long bones showed high values at 6-21 months and then decreased, but these did not always coincide with cortical and trabecular BMD. The values of SSI in the long bones varied. The values of total and cortical BMD and SSI of lumbar vertebra increased for 6-12 months and then decreased, but the trabecular BMD increased after 12 months. The total area in both the long bones and the first lumbar vertebra increased with the decrease in cortical area and the increase in the trabecular area with increasing age. It was concluded that age-related changes in bones, similar to those observed in humans, could be observed in some bones and parameters, although the age in rats when the so-called peak bone mass appears in the whole skeleton could not be clearly determined.