Abstract
Dietary xylitol supplementation increases bone calcium and
phosphorus concentrations in healthy rats, as well as protects
against the decrease of bone minerals and bone density during experimental
osteoporosis. This suggests that dietary xylitol might have a favorable
effect on the prevention of osteoporosis. However, before any conclusions
can be drawn about the usefulness of a compound, studies including
structural evaluation and biomechanical testing of bones must first
be performed.
Thus, the aim of the present study was to clarify whether
dietary xylitol affects bone resorption, bone structure, and bone
biomechanics in healthy rats, and whether dietary xylitol offers
some preventive effects against the increased bone resorption,
decreased bone trabeculation, and weakened bone biomechanical properties
during experimental osteoporosis.
Dietary xylitol reduced bone resorption in 3-mo old healthy
male rats, and protected significantly against the increase of
bone resorption in 3-mo old ovariectomized rats, as measured by
the urinary excretion of 3H following [3H]tetracycline-prelabeling.
In addition, increased trabecular bone volume of proximal tibia
in 4-mo old healthy male rats was detected after a 1-mo xylitol
feeding period, and significant protection against the decrease
of trabecular bone volume in 6-mo old ovariectomized rats was observed
after a 3-mo xylitol feeding period. Furthermore, dietary xylitol
increased the strength properties of long bones in 6-mo old healthy
male rats after a 3-mo feeding period, without affecting the bone
elastic properties as tested by three-point bending of tibia, torsion
of femur, and loading of femoral neck. Accordingly, dietary xylitol
protected significantly against the weakening of bone biomechanical
properties in 6-mo old ovariectomized rats after a 3-mo feeding
period.
In conclusion, the above results strongly support the hypothesis
that oral administration of xylitol protects effectively against
the progression of experimental osteoporosis. Dietary xylitol was
effective both in increasing bone mass in healthy rats, and in
preventing bone loss in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a favorable
effect of xylitol on both main targets in the prevention of osteoporosis.
As dietary xylitol was effective also in protecting against the
experimental osteoporosis-caused changes in bone structure and
weakening of bone biomechanical properties, oral xylitol administration
seems to provide interesting possibilities when searching for new
physiological choices for the prevention of osteoporosis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-5158-X |
| Date | 25 February 1999 |
| Creators | Mattila, P. (Pauli) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 1999 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-3221, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-2234 |
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