• Determining the effect of nanocurcumin loaded on nanofiber scaffolds on osteoporosis fracture repair in adult ovariectomized Wistar rats
  • SOMAYE FALLAHNEZHAD,1,*
    1. 1Nervous System Stem Cell Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran 2Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran


  • Introduction: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of nanocurcumin loaded on nanofiber scaffolds on the fracture healing process caused by osteoporosis in ovariectomized adult Wistar rats.
  • Methods: 32 three-month-old adult wistar rats weighing 220 to 250 grams were ovariectomized. After 3.5 months, the OP progression was evaluated using CT scanning and the critical size defect was made on the femur bone. Then, the rats were divided into the following groups: 1) ovariectomy + fracture group, 2) ovariectomy + fracture + scaffold group, and 3) Ovariectomy + fracture + scaffold containing nanocurcumin group. At four and eight weeks after surgery, western blot analyses were performed to evaluate OPG, OCN, and Runx2 proteins in local fractures.
  • Results: After 4 weeks, the expression level of osteoprotegerin in groups 2 and 3 was significantly higher than group 1 (p<0.001) and the expression level of osteocalcin was significantly higher in group 3 than group 1 (p<0.05) but there was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in terms of osteocalcin expression. The expression level of collagen type 1 in group 3 was significantly higher than group 1 (p<0.0001) and also in group 2 was significantly higher than group 1 (p<0.01). After 8 weeks, the level of osteoprotegerin expression in groups 2 and 3 was significantly higher than group 1 (p<0.001) and the level of osteocalcin expression was significantly higher in group 3 than group 1 (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in terms of osteocalcin expression. Also, there was no significant difference in collagen type 1 expression and RUNX2 expression between group 3 vs. 1 and group 2 vs. 1.
  • Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the use of scaffolds containing nanocurcumin can help in the repair of fractures caused by osteoporosis.
  • Keywords: Nanocurcumin, Scaffold, Osteoporosis, Fracture, Ovariectomy