Category Archives: Aspirin

Low Dose Aspirin May Increase Bone Resorption in Diabetic Mice

Abstract

Low dose aspirin therapy decreases blood glucose levels but does not prevent type i diabetes-induced bone loss.

Diabetes is strongly associated with increased fracture risk. During T1-diabetes onset, levels of blood glucose and pro-inflammatory cytokines (including TNFα) are increased. At the same time, levels of osteoblast markers are rapidly decreased and stay decreased 40 days later at which point bone loss is clearly evident. Inflammation is known to suppress bone formation and induce bone loss. Previous co-culture studies indicate that diabetic bone is inflamed and diabetic bone marrow is capable of enhancing osteoblast death in vitro. Here we investigate a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, aspirin, to prevent T1-diabetic bone loss in vivo.
We induced diabetes in 16-week-old male C57BL/6 mice and administered aspirin in the drinking water.
Our results demonstrate that aspirin therapy reduced diabetic mouse non-fasting blood glucose levels to less than 400 mg/dl, but did not prevent trabecular and cortical bone loss. In control mice, aspirin treatment increased bone formation markers but did not affect markers of bone resorption or bone density/volume. In diabetic mice, bone formation markers and bone density/volume are decreased and unaltered by aspirin treatment. Bone resorption markers, however, are increased and 2-way ANOVA analysis demonstrates an interaction between aspirin treatment and diabetes (p<0.007). Aspirin treatment did not prevent the previously reported diabetes-induced marrow adiposity.
Taken together, our results suggest that low dose aspirin therapy does not negatively impact bone density in control and diabetic mice, but could potentially increase bone resorption in T1-diabetic mice.

Coe LM, Denison JD, McCabe LR
Cell. Physiol. Biochem. 2011
PMID: 22178944 | Free Full Text

Aspirin Prevents Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Rats

Abstract

[Effect of cyclooxygenase-2 on bone loss in ovariectomized rats].

To investigate mechanism of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in bone loss in a postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) rat mode with ovarietomy (OVX).
Forty female Sprague Dawley adult rats at age of 3 months were randomly divided into 4 groups, 10 in each group, including sham-operated (sham) group, OVX group, OVX treated with nilesteriol (OVX + E) group and OVX treated with aspirin (OVX + P) group. All rats in OVX, OVX + E and OVX + P groups underwent ovarietomy under abdominal anesthesia with 10% chloral hydrate. Rats in sham group were only taken with fat tissue with same weight under bilateral ovary. After surgery, penicillin was administered to prevent infection. At day 7 after surgery, agents were given by intragastric administration for 12 weeks. Nilestriol at 1.0 mg/kg was used in OVX + E group once a week, aspirin at 45 mg×kg⁻¹(×d⁻¹ was used in OVX + P group once a day. Saline with same volume was used in rats in sham and OVX groups. All agents were administered one time per day. Dose of agents were adjusted by weight per week. At end of study, bone mineral density (BMD) of right femurs and lumbar vertebrae 3-5 (L(3-5)) were measured. Morphology of bone was detected by hematoxylineosin, and expression of COX-2 was determined by immunohistochemistry staining.
(1) BMD:BMD of right femur and L(3-5) was (0.209 ± 0.010) g/cm² and (0.230 ± 0.012) g/cm² in sham group and (0.181 ± 0.008) g/cm² and (0.201 ± 0.016) g/cm² in OVX group, which reached statistical difference (P < 0.01). BMD of right femur and L(3-5) was (0.203 ± 0.009) g/cm² and (0.224 ± 0.028) g/cm² in OVX + E group and (0.200 ± 0.011) g/cm² and (0.204 ± 0.003) g/cm² in OVX + P group, which were all higher than those in OVX group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in BMD between OVX + E and OVX + P group (P > 0.05). (2) Morphology of bone:bone trabeculae became fewer and degenerated in OVX group. However, bone trabeculae were regular and dense in OVX + P group and OVX + E group, which were similar to those in sham group. (3) Expression of COX-2:cells with COX-2 positive and expression of COX-2 around bone trabeculae in OVX group were more than those in sham, OVX + E and OVX + P group.
COX-2 plays an important role in PMOP. Aspirin could prevent bone loss by decreasing COX-2 expression in OVX rats.

Guo Y, Zhang CY, Tian Y, DI JM…
Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi Jun 2012
PMID: 22932114

Review: NSAIDs May Impair Bone Healing

Abstract

[No evidence of malicious effect of NSAID treatment on bone healing].

The use of NSAIDs for postoperative pain management following orthopaedic surgery or during conservative treatment of fractures is controversial. Experimental animal models suggest NSAIDs inhibit bone healing. In a review of the literature, there was no clinical evidence to support categorical discard of NSAID for postoperative pain relief in uncomplicated cases. However, NSAID should be considered a potentiel risk factor of impaired bone healing and avoided in patients with a high risk of pseudoarthrosis. Recommended daily doses should be respected and duration of treatment should be limited.

Janum S, Kristensen BB
Ugeskr. Laeg. Nov 2012
PMID: 23195353

Aspirin Delays Bone Healing in Rabbits

Abstract

Effect of aspirin on bone healing in a rabbit ulnar osteotomy model.

Aspirin is frequently prescribed following orthopaedic surgery. Although there is substantial evidence that some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with delayed bone healing, there have been few studies of the effects of aspirin on bone healing and, to our knowledge, none on the effects of physiologic dosages.
Following ulnar osteotomy, fifty-six rabbits were administered a placebo (nine rabbits), indomethacin (nine rabbits given 12.5 mg/kg daily), or aspirin at various doses and schedules (2.7 mg/kg daily for ten rabbits, 10 mg/kg daily for nine rabbits, 50 mg/kg twice daily for ten rabbits, and 100 mg/kg three times daily for nine rabbits). The aspirin doses were chosen to span the clinical dosing range. The indomethacin group served as a positive control and as a relative comparison with the effect of aspirin. Radiographs were obtained every two weeks and the animals were killed at eight weeks. Mechanical testing was performed on all rabbits except for six selected for histological evaluation.
Aspirin delayed bone healing, as demonstrated radiographically and with mechanical testing, in a dose-dependent fashion at salicylate levels equivalent to those resulting from typical human dosing (low-dose aspirin). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated a plasma salicylate threshold above 20.7 μg/mL predicting delayed bone healing. This approximates a single human dose of 325 mg. Salicylate levels above this threshold were associated with delayed bone healing similar to that caused by indomethacin. Aspirin dosing frequency did not affect bone healing. Mechanical testing was highly predictive of radiographic healing. The interobserver reliability of radiographic assessment of healing at six and eight weeks (kappa = 0.83 and 0.79, respectively) compared favorably with interobserver reliability in previous studies assessing cortical bridging.
In a rabbit ulnar osteotomy model, aspirin delayed bone healing with a threshold equivalent to a human dose of 325 mg.

Lack WD, Fredericks D, Petersen E, Donovan M…
J Bone Joint Surg Am Mar 2013
PMID: 23407637