OBJECTIVE: To compare the preventive and therapeutic effect of Vinegar testudinis carapax (VTC) water decoction and powder on mice with hemopenia or osteoporosis. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into normal group (1% CMC-Na), model group (1% CMC-Na), positive group (Compound e-jiao slurry 20 mL/kg or Gusongbao capsule 1.98 g/kg), VTC water decoction and powder low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose groups (1.95, 3.90, 7.80 g/kg), 10 in each group. In hemopenia mice model experiment, except for the normal group, mice in other groups were intraperitoneally injected cyclophosphamide 0.1 g/kg for modeling, and intragastrically given medicines from the first day (positive drug was Compound e-jiao slurry), once a day, for 8 d. After administration, peripheral blood levels of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HG), hematocrit (HCT), platelet (PLT) and bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNC) numbers in femur of mice were determined. In osteoporosis mice model experiment, except for the normal group, mice in other groups were intragastrically given retinoic acid 0.105 g/kg for modeling, and intragastrically given relevant medicines from the first day (positive drug was Gusongbao capsule), once a day, for 30 d. After administration, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, organ (thymus, liver, spleen, ovary) coefficients, dry masses and degreasing, ash quality of the femur, and contents of femur calcium and phosphorus in serum of mice were detected. RESULTS: In hemopenia mice model experiment, compared with normal group, WBC, RBC, HG, HCT, PLT levels in peripheral blood and BMNC numbers in femur of mice in model group were decreased (P<0.01). Compared with model group, HCT, PLT, BMNC levels in peripheral blood of mice in VTC water decoction low-dose group, and RBC, HG levels in medium-dose group and HCT level in high-dose group were significantly increased (P<0.05). And WBC level in peripheral blood of mice in powder low-dose, high-dose groups and HG level in medium-dose group were significantly increased (P<0.05). In osteoporosis mice model experiment, compared with normal group, ALP level in serum of mice in model group, dry mass and degreasing, ash mass, ash mass/dry mass of degreasing of the femur, and the contents of femur calcium and phosphorus were significantly decreased (P<0.01), there was no significant difference in each organ coefficient (P>0.05). Compared with model group, ALP level in serum and dry mass, phosphorus content of femur of mice in VTC water decoction high-dose group were significantly increased (P<0.05); ALP level in serum and dry mass, phosphorus content of femur of mice in VTC, powder medium-dose, high-dose group, the ash mass, ash mass/dry mass of degreasing, contents of femur calcium and phosphorus in VTC powder medium-dose group were significantly increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VTC water decoction shows better preventive and therapeutic effect on hemopenia mice; while VTC powder shows better preventive and therapeutic effect on osteoporosis mice.