# OVARIECTOMY AND BONE REMODELING DYNAMICS

> **NIH NIH R01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $48,491

## Abstract

The specific aim is to document the status of the trabecular bone
remodelling system in adult female baboons, before and after ovariectomy,
using a serial tetracycline labeling and biopsy technique which enables
longitudinal study of the changes in bone remodeling parameters in
individual animals.  The resulting data will enable the design and
evaluation of therapies which counter specific bone turnover abnormalities
caused by loss of ovarian function, and will establish methodology with
wide application for the study of skeletal diseases of aging in nonhuman
primate models.  The study has direct applicability to the understanding of
the mechanisms resulting in bone loss, and ultimately the clinical syndrome
of osteoporosis, in post-menopausal women, a major health problem in the
United States.  Ten young, skeletally-mature female baboons will be
tetracyline-labeled and have serial iliac crest, rib and tail biopsies
before and after ovariectomy.  Ovariectomy mimics the hormonal changes of
menopause without the confounding variable of aging.  Biopsy samples will
be embedded in methyl methacrylate, sectioned, and evaluated using an IBM
personal computer-based digitizing system for determination of static and
dynamic histomorphometric descriptors of bone remodeling processes.  The
experimental design includes features which control for prior biopsy
effects and will yield data on specific changes in bone remodelling
parmeters induced by ovariectomy in trabecular bone.  Cortical bone will
also be evaluated, and ovariectomy effects documented.  The animals will be
sacrificed 2 to 3.5 years after ovariectomy and clinically significant
skeletal sites (lumbar vertebrae, femoral neck, distal radius) evaluated as
for biopsies.  Serum levels of relevant elements, hormones, and enzymes
will be monitored throughout the course of the study.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3157350
- **Project number:** 5R01AR035736-03
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MBU6HCLNZ431
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID WEAVER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $48,491
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-08-01 → 1988-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3157350

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3157350, OVARIECTOMY AND BONE REMODELING DYNAMICS (5R01AR035736-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3157350. Licensed CC0.

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