Protective effect of fish liver oil and propolis on anticonvulsant drugs-induced osteoporosis

Abstract

Background/aim Osteoporosis is a major health problem and its prevalence increases the risk of bone fracture. It is classified into primary (postmenopausal or age related) and secondary (related to chronic diseases, drug therapy, or life style). There is accumulating evidence that patients on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are at an increasing risk of developing osteoporosis. The present study aimed at investigating the protective effect of dietary natural products, fish liver oil, and propolis on osteoporosis caused by anticonvulsant drugs. Materials and methods A total of 105 albino rats were used, divided into seven groups of 15 rats each. Group 1 was used as a control group. In group 2, rats were injected intraperitoneally with pilocarpine (300 mg/kg body weight). The pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats in the other five groups were orally treated with valproate (400 mg/kg body weight), a combination of valproate and fish liver oil (0.4 ml/kg body weight/day), a combination of valproate and propolis (50 mg/kg body weight/day), fish liver oil, and propolis, respectively. At the end of the experiment (6 months treatment), animals were sacrificed, femur shafts were extracted, decalcified, and processed into paraffin blocks for histopathological and image analysis and morphometric studies. Results Rats treated with the antiepileptic valproate alone showed a decrease in the thickness of shaft cortical bone, with a marked decrease in the number of osteocytes, increase in Haversian canals, and decrease in bone trabeculae, disruption of normal architecture, and widening of bone marrow spaces compared with the control group. Conclusion Treatment with the dietary natural products, fish liver oil, and propolis along with the AED valproate might improve histopathological changes and morphometric parameters in bone associated with AED-induced osteoporosis.