Effects of an herbal formula on the prevention of steroid-induced osteonecrosis in rabbits

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the alterations of inflammation in the steroid-induced avascular osteonecrosis of femoral head with/without an intervention agent.Twenty-seven healthy New Zealand rabbits were included and randomized into 3 groups. Group A (the control group, n=9) received a single gluteal injection of physiologic saline at a dosage of 20 mg/kg. Group B (the steroid group, n=10) received a single gluteal injection of methylprednisolone at a dosage of 20 mg/kg. Group C (the intervention group, n=8) received intervention agent continuously at a dosage of 2.13 g/kg/day for 12 days, and were given a single gluteal injection of methylprednisolone at a dosage of 20 mg/kg on the seventh day. Tumor necrosis factor alpfa (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) were measured before and after treatment. Tissues from the steroid group were stained with haematoxylin and eosion to undergo histopathologic examination on the 4th weeks after the injection. Both TNF-α and IL-1β levels increased relative to the baseline, and were greater than the control group at each time point. No positive finding was observed in the histopathologic examination. High-dose glucocorticosteroid increases the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, which are related to intravascular coagulation and thus play an important role in steroid-induced osteonecrosis. The intervention agent appeared to have the efficacy to decrease the levels of inflammation. Key words: Osteonecrosis, glucocorticosteroid, inflammation, intervention