Early consumption of blueberry diet protects against sex steroid deficiency‐induced bone loss in adult female rats

Abstract

We studied the effects of blueberry consumption in early development on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) adult female rats. Weanling female rats were fed AIN‐93G diets supplemented with 10% whole blueberry powder from PND 21 to PND34 (short‐term group), or PND21 to PND81 (chronic group). The short term group was fed AIN‐93G after PND34. Animals were sacrificed at 1 week or 3 weeks following OVX on PND60. In both blueberry groups, tibial total and trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) were higher following 3 weeks of OVX (p < 0.05), and total bone mineral content (BMC) were higher (p < 0.05) 1 week post‐ OVX compared to control casein AIN‐93G fed animals. In the chronic group, but not the short term group, tibial total and trabecular BMD were also higher after 1 week of OVX. Interestingly, cortical BMD, cortical thickness and total BMC were all higher in the short term blueberry group after 1 week of OVX (p < 0.05), but there are no differences in cortical thickness and total BMC after 3 weeks of OVX as compared to control casein groups. Higher BMD in both blueberry groups was tightly associated with elevation of the serum bone formation marker osteocalcin (p < 0.05). These results indicate preventive effects against sex steroid deficiency‐induced bone loss in adults associated with blueberry consumption in early life may result from long term increases in bone formation. Supported in part by ARS CRIS #6251‐51000‐005‐03S.