l-Carnitine ameliorates the osteoporotic changes and protects against simvastatin induced myotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in rats.

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed to discover more effective drugs to treat osteoporosis (OP) with fewer side effects. OP was induced in 24 rats using dexamethasone (DEX) 7 mg/kg intramuscular once weekly for four weeks, with six rats as a negative control. The osteoporotic rats were divided into one untreated group (positive control) and three treated groups (n = 6) that received L-carnitine (L-Car) (100 mg/kg/d), simvastatin (SIMV) (10 mg/kg/d), and L-Car + SIMV in the same previous doses, all treatments were orally for four weeks. At the end of the experiment, serum calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteoprotegerin (OPG), total antioxidant (TAO), creatine kinase (CK), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured. The femur was histopathologically examined. Serum Ca, OPG, and TAO levels increased significantly, while P and ALP levels decreased in the L-Car and SIMV treated groups compared to the DEX-treated group. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in CK, ALT, and AST levels in the L-Car and L-Car + SIMV treated groups compared to the DEX treated group. CONCLUSIONS: L-Car and SIMV have antiosteoporotic effects, as well as a synergistic effect. Moreover, L-Car ameliorates SIMV-induced myotoxicity and hepatoxicity.