The influence of caffeine on the biomechanical properties of bone tissue during pregnancy in a population of rats

Abstract

The influence of pregnancy on bone tissue metabolism is not completely understood. Caffeine also has a potentially negative influence on bones. The aim of this study was the evaluation of changes in the bones of pregnant rats under the influence of caffeine. The experiment was carried out on Wistar rats. The evaluation of rats’ bone tissue quality was performed based on bone density measurements and resistance examinations. It analyzed the impact of caffeine on the degree of bone tissue mineralization and the composition of the bones. The mean value of pelvises ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ densities in a group of pregnant rats with caffeine intake was lower compared to the control group. The deformation in maximal load point of the femur shaft in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group. In the experimental group, the percentage of water in the bones was significantly higher, while the content of inorganic phase was significantly lower compared to the control group. The changes of biomechanical parameters in the group of pregnant rats with caffeine intake indicate its negative influence on the bone. Our results show higher plasticization of the bone shafts of the animals under the influence of caffeine. Higher deformation of bone shafts may have an effect on the statics of the skeleton. The administration of caffeine significantly affected the quantitative composition of the bone. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 504–511)