| Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of ganoderma lucidum spores on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rats. Methods Thirty-nine female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected and ovariectomized to establish osteoporotic rat model, and the other 20 rats were performed sham surgery. Then all 59 rats were fed normally for 16 weeks. After successful modeling, 10 rats were randomly selected from the sham surgery group as blank control group (C group). Then 30 ovariectomized rats were randomly divided into three groups: model group (M group), low-dose ganoderma lucidum spores group (BL group, 400 mg/kg), and high-dose ganoderma lucidum spores group (BH group, 1600 mg/kg). All rats were treated with gavage once a day for 10 weeks. Body weight changes, organ index, femoral bone mineral density, microstructural images of trabecular bone, trabecular bone parameters, bone biomechanical properties, and the serum content of bone metabolites were compared among the groups. Results There was no significant difference in body weight changes among the groups (P>0.05). There were no statistical differences in organ index of the liver, spleen, and thymus among the groups (P>0.05). Compared to that in C group, uterine index in M group decreased significantly (P<0.01). However, uterine index in BL and BH groups was significantly higher than that in M group (P<0.05). Compared to those in M group, the following indicators: femoral bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), maximum load, bending strength, elastic modulus, and estradiol (E2) content in serum in BL and BH groups increased significantly (P<0.05). However, the level of trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), osteocalcin (OC) content, bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) content, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) content in serum in BL and BH groups decreased significantly (P<0.01). Micro-CT images of the bone showed a decrease in density in trabecular bone of M group, while other micro-CT images of the bone showed a increase in density in trabecular bone of BL and BH groups. Conclusion Ganoderma lucidum spores have a certain therapeutic effect on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats. It may be due to that ganoderma lucidum spores keep a balance of bone resorption and bone formation by improving endocrine function and estrogen level, thereby improving bone quality and increasing bone strength and bone mineral density. |