Effects of voluntary wheel running on goserelin acetate-induced bone degeneration

A common treatment option for many breast and prostate cancer patients is the use of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist such as goserelin acetate (GA) which reduces sex hormone levels. This treatment, however, is associated with bone degeneration, and exercise has been suggested as a means of preventing this side effect. Little is known about the effects of low intensity, low volume exercise on GA-induced bone loss. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effects of voluntary wheel running on bone architecture in growing male (M) and female (F) rats receiving GA treatment. Rats received an 8-week GA treatment or placebo (CON) and were either housed in cages equipped with voluntary running wheels (WR) or remained sedentary (SED) in standard cages throughout the experimental period. Following treatments, tibiae were excised and analyzed for cortical bone (cross-sectional volume, cortical volume, marrow volume, cortical thickness) and cancellous bone (bone volume/total volume, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, trabecular spacing) using micro-computed tomography. Treatment with GA resulted in a significant reduction in running wheel distances in both sexes throughout the study period (P < 0.05). GA treatment had no effect on cortical bone architecture in neither sex (P > 0.05). Cancellous bone degeneration, however, was observed in M and F SED + GA (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in M WR + GA animals in bone volume/total volume, trabecular number and trabecular spacing when compared to M SED + CON (P > 0.05). In F WR + GA, trabecular thickness did not differ from that of F SED + CON (P > 0.05), and trabecular spacing was found to be significantly lower than F SED + GA (P < 0.05). The current report indicates that 8 weeks of GA treatment promotes cancellous bone degeneration, and voluntary wheel running provides no clear osteoprotection in growing male and female rats.