Speelt FSH een rol bij het ontstaan van osteoporose bij fretten [Mustela putorius furo]?

Abstract

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a worldwide problem among women. Several articles of one research group claim that FSH has a direct influence on osteoporosis. This statement is being rejected by other investigators. From both sides researchers are searching for new evidence to establish the precise role of FSH in the process of osteoporosis. In this article we want to determine in vivo if high plasma FSH levels in male ferrets lead to a lower bone density in comparison to male ferrets which have a low plasma FSH level. We want to identify if FSH can act estrogen-independent and if so, how great the influence from FSH is on bone density. The bone density from lumber vertebrae of ten male ferrets with different plasma FSH levels was determined. De difference in plasma FSH level existed for 42 months because the ferrets were chemically (with a slow-release GnRH-agonist implant with 9.4 mg deslorelin) or surgically castrated at that moment. The bone density, represented as the ratio ‘bone area/tissue area’, was determined by measuring the amount of trabecular bone on photographs of HE stained slides. No significant difference in bone density was found between the two groups. We therefore assume that plasma FSH levels do not influence the bone density of surgically or chemically castrated male ferrets.