| Objective To explore the effect of acupuncture with invigorating spleen and tonifying kidney method on rat osteoporosis model based on the relationship between muscular and skeletal system. Methods Twenty-four SD female rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, drug group, and acupuncture group, with six rats in each group. A postmenopausal osteoporosis rat model was constructed using debridement surgery. After the model was successfully prepared, rats in the drug group received alendronate 0.1 ml/kg by gavage once a day. Rats in the acupuncture group received acupuncture three times a week. After 12 consecutive weeks of intervention, bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur was observed with micro-CT. Mean flow rate and maximum peak flow rate of the femoral artery were observed with color multispectral. Mitochondrial number and morphological structure were observed with transmission electron microscopy. The amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed using DHE staining. Results Compared to those in the blank group, rats in the model group had elevated body weight (P<0.05), decreased quadriceps muscle mass index (P<0.05), forelimb grip strength (P<0.05), BMD (P<0.05), femoral artery mean flow rate and maximum peak flow rate (P<0.05), increased mitochondrial number, structural swelling, and increased ROS number (P<0.05). Compared to those in the model group, the body weight of rats in the drug group and the acupuncture group increased (P<0.05), the quadriceps muscle mass index increased (P<0.05), the forelimb muscle strength increased (P<0.05), the density of bone trabeculae increased (P<0.05), the number of mitochondria decreased and the structure improved, the number of ROS decreased (P<0.05), and the mean flow velocity of the femoral artery and the maximal peak flow velocity accelerated, with a statistically significant difference between the acupuncture group (P<0.05) and no statistically significant difference between the drug group and the acupuncture group. The difference between the drug group and the acupuncture group was not statistically significant. Conclusion The acupuncture with invigorating spleen, tonifying kidney, and strengthening bone method may regulate skeletal muscle microcirculation blood flow and relieve skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative stress, thus positively affecting skeletal muscle structure and function to intervene postmenopausal osteoporosis. |