Sailaja Anumula1, Debra Horng1, Suzanne L. Wehrli2, Jeremy Magland1, Felix W. Wehrli1
1Department of Radiology, Laboratory for Structural NMR Imaging, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 2NMR Core Facility, The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
We hypothesize that hormone loss following menopause results in decreased degree of mineralization of bone (DMB) and increased water content. The antiresorptive agent alendronate (ALN) is known to increase DMB to a level similar to that in premenopausal women. We test the above hypothesis by quantifying bone mineral phosphorus and water content by 3D radial 31P and 1H imaging in ovariectomized rats in response to treatment with ALN. The results support our hypothesis and are in agreement with other means of mineral and water quantification.