Changes in Bone Mineral Density and Body Composition in Burn and Hindlimb Unloaded Rats.
14-day hindlimb immobilization linked to lower hindlimb lean mass in burned rats.
Changes in Bone Mineral Density and Body Composition in Burn and Hindlimb Unloaded Rats.
Prolonged immobilization worsens the patient's recovery following severe burn injury and results in a prolonged hospitalization.
This study aims to assess the alterations in bone mineral density and body composition in a pre-clinical model of cutaneous burn combined with immobilization.
Adult male rats (n = 24) received scald burn of ∼40% total body surface area (total body surface area) (B).
We found that ratios of rat whole body mass, normalized to pre-burn mass, were significantly decreased over time in all burned rats (B: 0.9072 ± 0.0517; BH3: 0.8997 ± 0.0145; BH14: 0.8618 ± 0.0666) when compared to the control (1.1542 ± 0.0206) (P < .05).
The same significant reductions were observed in lean mass, bone mineral content (bone mineral content), and fat content (P < .05).
We found the ratios of isolated hindlimb tissue mass significantly decreased in all burned rats (B: 0.0552 ± 0.0018; BH3: 0.499 ± 0.0050; BH14: 0.0459 ± 0.0033) when compared to the control (0.0738 ± 0.0046) (P < .05).
DEXA scanning of the whole body revealed a cachectic state in burned rats. The whole-body DEXA results were concordant with those obtained from the corresponding isolated hindlimbs.
The isolated hindlimbs showed a further decrease in lean mass in burned rats following 14 days of immobilization. We conclude that 14-day immobilization exacerbates the cachectic state in severely burned rats.
This preclinical model may be used to develop and test effective therapeutic countermeasures.