[en] Recently some developments in a large number of investigative techniques have been made with the objective to obtain a micrometer spatial resolution imaging of elemental concentrations. The X-ray microfluorescence analysis (µXRF) is one of those techniques which is based on the localized excitation of a small area on the surface of sample, providing information of all elements contained in the material under study. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Brazilian women. The main treatment strategies for the breast cancer are surgery and chemotherapy. As bone loss is one of the possible chemotherapy side effects, in this work was used μXRF technique on femoral head samples of female Wistar rats to evaluate Ca, Fe and Zn concentrations in order to investigate possible elemental changes in bone caused by the chemotherapy. Fifteen female rats were divided randomly in groups (five rats each). G1 group received doses of doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide drugs and G2 group was treated with docetaxel/cyclophosphamide drugs. µXRF measurements were carried out at the X-ray XRF beamline in the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. The results showed significant decrease especially in Ca concentrations when comparing the treated groups with the control group. - Highlights: • One of the side effects caused by chemotherapy drugs is a significant bone loss. • Metals in human provide insights into individual exposure and/or disease. • We applied μXRF in samples of Wistar rats to evaluate the elemental concentrations.

[en] Microporosities play important biologic and mechanical roles on health. One of the side effects caused by some chemotherapy drugs is the induction of amenorrhea, temporary or not, in premenopausal women, with a consequent decrease in estrogen production, which can lead to cortical bone changes. In the present work, the femur diaphysis of rats treated with chemotherapy drugs were evaluated by 3D morphometric parameters using synchrotron radiation microtomography. Control animals were also evaluated for comparison. The 3D tomographic images were obtained at the SYRMEP (SYnchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics) beamline at the ELETTRA Synchrotron Laboratory in Trieste, Italy. Results showed significant differences in morphometric parameters measured from the 3D images of femur diaphysis of rats. - Highlights: • Changes in cortical bone porosity due to chemotherapeutic drugs. • 3D morphometric parameters with synchrotron radiation microtomography. • Chemotherapy induced bone loss in rats.

[en] It is well accepted that rat ovariectomy (OVX) is a model of estrogen deficiency. OVX played a very important role in the initiating and developing of osteoporosis and it has been shown to be a major risk factor for the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women. In this work we used synchrotron radiation computed microtomography to investigate the skeletal effects in femoral head of female Wistar rats after bilateral ovariectomy surgery. The CT system was set up at the SYRMEP beamline in the synchrotron radiation facility ELETTRA (Trieste, Italy). Micro-CT images provided 3D information on precise trabecular microstructure by the reconstruction of multiple 2D images with almost 2 μm resolution. Our aim was to use histomorphometric analysis to reveal the effect of OVX on the three-dimensional (3D) trabecular bone microarchitecture. Evaluated morphometric parameters were trabecular bone volume-tissue volume ratio (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th). OVX group presented noticeable reduction in the Tb.N and Tb.Th when compared with control group (P < 0.01). However, trabecular micro-CT parameters showed that BV/TV and Tb.Sp were slightly lower in the OVX animals than that of the control group during the experimental period, which was not significantly different (P > 0.05). Our data may help to gain more insight into the potential mechanism of osteoporotic femoral head fractures

[en] Three-dimensional microtomography has the potential to examine complete bones of small laboratory animals with very high resolution in a non-invasive way. One of the side effects caused by some chemotherapy drugs is the induction of amenorrhea, temporary or not, in premenopausal women, with a consequent decrease in estrogen production, which can lead to bone changes. In the present work, the femur heads of rats treated with chemotherapy drugs were evaluated by 3D histomorphometry using synchrotron radiation microcomputed tomography. Control animals were also evaluated for comparison. The 3D tomographic images were obtained at the SYRMEP (SYnchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics) beamline at the Elettra Synchrotron Laboratory in Trieste, Italy. Results showed significant differences in morphometric parameters measured from the 3D images of femur heads of rats in both analyzed groups.