Dried Plum Prevents Bone Loss in a Male Osteoporosis Model via IGF-I and the RANK Pathway

JOURNAL: BONE 39, no. 6 (2006): 1331-1342

AUTHORS: Franklin, M., Bu, S.Y., Lerner, M.R., Lancaster, E.A., Bellmer, D., Marlow, D., Lightfoot, S. A., Arjmandi, B.H., Brackett, D.J., Lucas, E.A. and Smith, B.J.

The study was designed to determine the extent to which dried plum prevents skeletal deterioration in gonadal hormone deficient male animals and to begin to understand the mechanism. Sham operated on orchidectomized male rats fed dried plum diets at 5, 15 and 25 percent (w/w) levels. The 15 and 25 percent dried plum diets prevented the ORX-induced decrease in whole body, femur and lumbar vertebrae bone mineral density. Results of other biomechanical testing are discussed. The authors conclude that dried plum prevents osteopenia in androgen deficient male rats and that the benefits may be attributed in part to a decrease in osteoclastogenesis via down-regulation of the RANKl and stimulation of bone formation mediated by IGF-I.