Femoral head blood flow in long-term steroid therapy: study of rabbit model

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · South. Med. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00007611-198312000-00018· OSTI ID:7190473

Wang, G J; Hubbard, S L; Reger, S I; Miller, E D; Stamp, W G

Using a rabbit model, previous studies showed steroid-induced hyperlipidemia with subsequent fatty embolization of the subchondral arteries and hypertrophy of the marrow fat cells, followed by elevation of femoral head pressure from the normal level of 25 cm to nearly 60 cm H2O after eight weeks of treatment. This has led us to believe that pressure changes lead to decreased blood flow in the femoral head. In our study of 22 New Zealand white adult rabbits, weighing an average of 4.0 kg, 14 received a weekly dose of 12.45 mg of methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol), and eight served as control. Femoral head blood flow was established using the radioactive microsphere technique. Control and cortisone-treated rabbits had femoral head blood flow measured 6, 8 and 10 weeks after treatment. The average blood flow in the control femoral heads averaged 0.2039 +/- 0.076 ml/min/gm, with no difference in the left side and the right side. In the treated group, the average blood flow at ten weeks was 0.162 +/- 0.039 ml/min/gm on the right and 0.164 +/- 0.037 ml/min/gm on the left, which was significantly different. This is parallel to unpredictable clinical findings in human beings.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville
• OSTI ID: 7190473
• Journal Information: South. Med. J.; (United States), Vol. 76:12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
FEMUR
BLOOD FLOW
MEASURING METHODS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
STEROIDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMOTHERAPY
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROSPHERES
RABBITS
TIME DEPENDENCE
ANIMALS
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
SKELETON
THERAPY
VERTEBRATES
550901* - Pathology- Tracer Techniques