Abstract
BackgroundWhile gross morphological changes in the skeleton between males and females are well know, differences between sexes in the histomorphology are less known. It is important to have knowledge on the bone structure of rabbits, as this is a widely used species in biomedical research. A study was performed to evaluate the association between sex and the compact bone morphology of the femoral diaphysis in juvenile rabbits.MethodsSeventeen clinically healthy 2–3 month-old rabbits (9 females, 8 males) were included in the study. The rabbits were euthanized and the right femur was sampled for analysis. 70–80 microns thick bone sections of the femoral diaphysis were prepared using standard histological equipment. The qualitative histological characteristics were determined according to internationally accepted classification systems while the quantitative parameters were assessed using the software Scion Image. Areas, perimeters, minimum and maximum diameters of primary osteons' vascular canals, Haversian canals and secondary osteons were measured. Additionally, blood plasma concentrations of progesterone, corticosterone, IGF-I, testosterone and estradiol were analyzed.ResultsQualitative histological characteristics were similar for both sexes. However, variations of certain quantitative histological characteristics were identified. Measured parameters of the primary osteons' vascular canals were higher in males than for females. On the other hand, females had significant higher values of secondary osteons parameters. Differences in Haversian canals parameters were only significant for minimum diameter.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that quantitative histological characteristics of compact bone tissue of the femoral diaphysis in juvenile rabbits were sex dependent. The variations may be associated with different growth and modeling of the femur through influence by sex-specific steroids, mechanical loads, genetic factors and a multitude of other sources. The results can be applied in experimental studies focusing on comparison of the skeletal biology of the sexes.
Highlights
While gross morphological changes in the skeleton between males and females are well know, differences between sexes in the histomorphology are less known
Hormonal analyses The concentration of progesterone, corticosterone, IGF-I, testosterone and estradiol was determined in 20–50 μl Qualitative histological characteristics The femoral diaphysis had a similar morphology despite the sex of the rabbits
The present study demonstrated significant difference in the quantitative histological characteristics between the sexes as males had larger primary osteons' vascular canals than females
Summary
While gross morphological changes in the skeleton between males and females are well know, differences between sexes in the histomorphology are less known. A study was performed to evaluate the association between sex and the compact bone morphology of the femoral diaphysis in juvenile rabbits. The rabbit is one of the most commonly used animals for biomedical research, being used in approximately 35% of musculoskeletal research studies [1]. This is in part due to ease of handling and size, but the rabbit is convenient as it reaches skeletal maturity shortly after sexual maturity at around 6 months of age [2,3]. Primary osteons are not surrounded by a reversal (cement) line and their lamella merge smoothly with the surrounding bone, while secondary osteons consist of a central (Haversian) canal surrounded by concentric rings (lamellae) of matrix [4,5]
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