Objective To compare the ameliorating effect of collagen peptide chelated calcium (CPCC) and estrogen on the bone quality in ovariectomized rats in order to serve the development of safe drugs for prevention of osteoporosis (OP).Methods Bilateral ovariectomized rats were divided into ovariectomized group (OVX),sham group,17β-estradiol injection group (OVX+E2) and CPCC gavage group (OVX+CCCP).Bone and serum indices of these groups were assessed and compared at 9 weeks after treatment.Results Bone density of the OVX group was significantly lower than the sham group (P<0.01),indicating that the rat OP model was successfully established.Like estrogen,CPCC inhibited the abnormal changes of all indices and maintain similar levels with those of the sham group (P>0.05),while the body weight gain of the E2 group at weeks 8 and 9 was significantly lower than those of the sham group (P<0.01).As regarding the prevention of bone loss,the Mg and Ca levels of the E2 group were significantly lower than those of the moderate and high dose CPCC groups.The Cu level was not significantly different compared with the sham group,while those in the moderate and low dose CPCC groups were significantly higher than the sham group.The Mn,Zn and hydroxyproline levels of the E2 group were significantly lower than those of the sham group,while the CPCC group maintained levels similar to that of the sham group.In regarding to the inhibiting effect on the increased blood BGP and StrACP,the E2 group was still maintained at levels similar to that of the OVX group,while those of the CPCC group were significantly lower than the OVX group.As regarding the decreased blood Ca,the E2 group was not significantly different with that of the OVX group,while that of the CPCC group was significantly higher than the OVX group.Conclusions CPCC is more effective than estrogen in ameliorating the bone quality of ovariectomized rats.

BACKGROUND: The bone fragments from spinal vertebral fracture can enter into vertebral canal to cause neural functional injury. The restoration of neural function after injury is mainly determined by the character and extent of primary injury, and is related with the spinal injured range. Early imageological analysis can evaluate the degree and range of spinal injury to preliminarily evaluate the therapeutic method and prognosis of the patient.OBJECTIVE: To explore the merit of MRI in the evaluation of function prognosis in compressive fracture induced by spinal trauma or primary osteoporosis to provide a gist for early rehabilitative intervention.DESIGN: A case retrospective study by employing patients with benign vertebral compressive fracture as subjects.SETTING: Department of Imageology of Henan Provincial Hebi Mineral Bureau General Hospital, Department of Radiology of affiliated hospitals of two universities.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 107 cases(123 vertebras) of benign vertebral compressive fracture with complete clinical data including 65 cases of trauma (trauma group, 71 vertebras) and 42 cases of osteoporosis(osteoporosis group, 52 vertebras) were selected from 125 spinal MRI testees of the first affiliated hospital of Beijing Medical University and the first affiliated hospital of Xinxiang Medical College for retrospective analysis.INTERVENTIONS: MRI images of the compressive vertebras in 107 cases (123 vertebras) induced by acute trauma or primary osteoporosis were comparatively analyzed by two vice botanic physicians with blindness method.Vertebral compression was classified into "wedge-shaped" or "flat-shaped" based on the difference between anterior and posterior height of the deformed vertebras and the shapes to observe whether there was bone fragment or not and typical fracture line.RESULTS: MRI manifestation of osteoporosis compression: medullary signal was completely kept in the deformed vertebras with the mixture of high signals. The anterior superior angle of vertebra stuck into vertebral canal. Strip low signal was under the endplate of T1 vertebra. The anterior and posterior vertebral border had normal morphology or slightly sucked with smooth margin. Vertebral vein was clearly displayed. MRI manifestation of traumatic compression: vertebra had relatively even low signal and kept partial medullary signals. Vertebra was obviously deformed with para-vertebral hematoma. There was fracture line or usually accompanied with medullary edema, and cystic degeneration. Vertebral enhancement was an important manifestation of fracture rehabilitative stage, which was the indicator for the judgment of fresh or old fracture.CONCLUSION: MRI can differentiate spinal traumatic fracture and primary osteoporosis fracture, judge fracture time, and preliminarily evaluate the function and prognosis of the patient.

In order to improve the nutritional value and bio-availability of sheep bone enzymatic hydrolysates, we tried to ferment the hydrolysates with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to enhance free Ca²⁺, to generate oligopeptide and antioxidative activity. First, we isolated 7 LAB strains from commercial starters and selected Lactobacillus plantarum as the starter for its highest protease-producing ability. The content of released Ca²⁺ was evaluated when the fermenting conditions were optimized by the method of responsive surface design. When supplemented with 1% maltose and inoculated 4% L. plantarum, at initial pH 5.5 and 37 ℃ for 14 h, Ca²⁺ content in the hydrolysates increased significantly (P<0.05), as well as the generation oligopeptide (P<0.01), and the content of hydroxyproline (P<0.01). The count of L. plantarum in the fermented hydrolysates reached to 94.6×10⁸ CFU/mL. L. plantarum fermentation significantly enhanced the ability to scavenge free radicals DPPH, ·OH and O₂⁻· (P<0.01, P<0.05). Therefore, fermenting sheep bone hydrolysates by L. plantarum can increase free Ca²⁺, oligopeptide and antioxidative ability.