Estrogen promotes the onset and development of idiopathic scoliosis via disproportionate endochondral ossification of the anterior and posterior column in a bipedal rat model

This study aimed to verify the effects of estrogen on the onset and development of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and the mechanisms associated with these effects by constructing a pubescent bipedal rat model. Experiments were conducted to investigate whether scoliosis progression was prevented by a Triptorelin treatment. One hundred twenty bipedal rats were divided into female, OVX (ovariectomy), OVX + E2, Triptorelin, sham, and male groups. According to a spinal radiographic analysis, the scoliosis rates and curve severity of the female and OVX + E2 groups were higher than those in the OVX, Triptorelin, and male groups. The measurements obtained from the sagittal plane of thoracic vertebrae CT confirmed a relatively slower growth of the anterior elements and a faster growth of the posterior elements between T11 and T13 in the female and OVX + E2 groups than in the OVX and Triptorelin groups. Histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry revealed a significantly longer hypertrophic zone of the vertebral cartilage growth plates that expressed more type X collagen and less type II collagen in the OVX and Triptorelin groups than in the female and OVX + E2 groups. Ki67 immunostaining confirmed an increase in the proliferation of vertebral growth plate chondrocytes in the OVX group compared with the female and OVX + E2 groups. In conclusion, estrogen obviously increased the incidence of scoliosis and curve severity in pubescent bipedal rats. The underlying mechanism may be a loss of coupling of the endochondral ossification between the anterior and posterior columns. Triptorelin decreased the incidence of scoliosis and curve magnitudes in bipedal female rats.