Effects of Caloric Restriction on Cardiometabolic Risk and Bone Biomarkers in Ovariectomized Rats

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of caloric restriction on cardiometabolic risk and bone biomarkers in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Seven–week–old female SD‐rats were randomized to sham‐operated control fed ad libitum diet (SHAM‐AL), sham‐operated fed caloric restriction diet (SHAM‐CR), ovariectomy‐operated control fed ad libitum diet (OVX‐AL), or ovariectomy‐operated fed caloric restriction diet (OVX‐CR). For 8 weeks, the OVX‐AD group was pair‐fed with the SHAM‐AD group and the CR groups were fed diet with 50% fewer calories than their counterparts. Cardiovascular risk biomarkers (glucose, insulin, TG, TC, LDL‐C, HDL‐C, NOS, endothelin‐1) and bone biomarkers (cytokines, osteoclast and osteoblast scores, ALP, OC, DPD, NTx, and other bone‐related parameters) were analyzed at the end of the experiment. As results, glucose, TG, TC, LDL‐C, NOS and endothelin‐1 were the highest in the OVX‐AL group, but HDL‐C was high in the CR groups (p<0.05). IL‐1α, IL‐6, RANKL/OPG ratio, osteoblast scores, and OC were low and DPD and NTx were high in the CR groups (p<0.05). IL‐1α, IL‐6, RANKL/OPG ratio, osteoclast scores, ALP, OC, and DPD were high in the OVX groups (p<0.05). As a conclusion, the caloric restriction produced positive effects on cardiometabolic risk biomarkers, especially in OVX groups, however it produced negative influences on bone mass in both SHAM and OVX groups.