The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

Georgia Veterinary Scholars Program

GVSP Summer 2011 Scholars

Georgia Veterinary Scholar	Faculty Mentor

Brenna Stapleton University of Georgia Class of 2014	Dr. Clifton Baile Department of Animal and Dairy Science UGA College Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Effects of Resveratrol on Bone Health in a Post-Menopausal Rat Model

Brenna M. Stapleton, Renee D. Shirley, Diane L. Hartzell, Srujana Rayalam, Suresh Ambati, Mary Anne Della-Fera, Clifton A. Baile.

Osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mass and increased bone fragility, is of growing concern for our aging society. It is estimated that over 50% of people 50 years and older within the Unites States are at risk for developing osteoporosis. Of this population, post-menopausal women are the most susceptible and can lose up to 20% of their bone density within the first 5-7 years after menopause because of reduced estrogen levels. Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen that is found in a variety of plants including grapes and cranberries. Previous studies have demonstrated resveratrol's potential as an estrogenic compound when supplemented with other phytochemicals to stimulate bone growth and inhibit bone resorption. However, there is little known about the effectiveness of resveratrol alone as an estrogen supplement in the diet for the maintenance of bone health. The objective of our study was to show the benefits of resveratrol on bone health of an ovariectomized (OVX) rat as a model for post-menopausal women. The rats were fed an estrogen-free diet supplemented with 0, 100, or 400 mg/kg resveratrol of diet. The experiment included a surgical OVX sham treatment fed a control diet. Femurs and lumbar vertebrae were collected and evaluated using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) densitometry. Three-point biomechanical testing was conducted on the left femurs, and the right tibias were examined histologically. The results showed significant loss of bone in the ovariectomized rats but no significant difference in the bone density or strength of the OVX rats supplemented with resveratrol. We conclude that resveratrol alone, even at the high dose tested, is not an adequate replacement for estrogen in the post-menopausal model.