Bone changes after castration in (middle-aged) rats A model for osteoporosis

[Diggie's Friend]

In middle aged male rats, neutering was not found to result in osteoporosis.

In middle aged female rats, spaying resulted in the development of osteoporosis.


study confirmed that middle-aged female rats on a normal diet develop osteoporosis after castration; similar findings have been made by Saville (1969) and Kalu (1983)

Link to (summary) abstract only.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3962636/

[Diggie's Friend]

Quote from same study:


Both the bone density and the calcium and hydroxyproline concentrations of the bones
were reduced in the female (altered) castrated rats

I.E. spaying or altering female rats promotes Metabolic Bone Disease. Save then for the calcium ratio of the diet being increased to support the high end ratio found to support bone health adult female rats, that may be enough to compensate for the lowering of calcium absorption that results from estrogen being reduced signficantly after ovariectomy or full spaying.

[Diggie's Friend]

Another study done in young (juvenile) male rats found:


In young castrated male rats, a significant decrease in BMD (bone mineral density) was observed after orchiectomy due to the mixture of two detrimental factors. Young castrated male rats did not reach peak BMD. Increased bone turnover causes bone resorption to exceed bone formation.

After males reach full bone density, which is synonymous with reaching adulthood that follows puberty by a span of time; then neutering has less of a catastrophic effect upon the body. Still, there were changes noted to take place in the adult males after neutering. Overall, adult males fair better from altering at adulthood, than do the adult females.