phytoestrogens and Dyslipidemias

Impaired lipid metabolism is an important health problem in postmenopausal women with insufficient estrogens, because dyslipidemia is a risk factor for development of atherosclerosis and the incidence of cardiovascular disease markedly increases after menopause. Pueraria mirifica (PM), a Thai herb, has been noticed as a source of phytoestrogens, estrogen-mimicking plant compounds. However, the clinical effects of PM on lipid metabolism and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain undetermined. Therefore, we examined the effects of PM on serum lipid parameters in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nineteen postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive oral administration of PM powder or placebo. After 2 months of treatment, the PM group showed a significant increase in serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) A-1 (34% and 40%, respectively), and a significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apo B (17% and 9%, respectively), compared with baseline measurements. Moreover, significant decreases were observed in the ratios of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (37%) and apo B to apo A-1 (35%). Next, we determined the effects of PM phytoestrogens on the activation of estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated transactivation by transient expression assays of a reporter gene in cultured cells. Among PM phytoestrogens, miroestrol and coumestrol enhanced both ERalpha- and ERbeta-mediated transactivation, whereas other phytoestrogens, including daidzein and genistein, preferentially enhanced ERbeta-mediated transactivation. In conclusion, PM has a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism in postmenopausal women, which may result from the activation of gene transcription through selective binding of phytoestrogens to ERalpha and ERbeta.

Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Chlorocebus aethiops; Double-Blind Method; Dyslipidemias; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Models, Biological; Phytoestrogens; Placebos; Postmenopause; Protein Isoforms; Pueraria; Receptors, Estrogen

To evaluate the effect of the soy isoflavone genistein on the metabolic and hormonal disturbances of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), we studied a group of obese, hyperinsulinemic, and dyslipidemic women presenting this syndrome during 6 months of phytoestrogen administration.. Pilot prospective study.. Operative division of endocrinological gynecology in a university hospital.. Twelve Caucasian obese, hyperinsulinemic, and dyslipidemic women with PCOS.. Patients received 36 mg/d of genistein for 6 months. Ultrasonographic pelvic exams, hormonal and lipid features, oral glucose tolerance test, and euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp were performed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment.. Basal hormonal assays, lipid profile, and glycoinsulinemic assessment.. Phytoestrogens supplementation significantly improved total cholesterol levels, reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and resulting in a significant decrease in the LDL-high-density lipoprotein ratio (LDL-HDL). Triglycerides showed a trend toward decrease, whereas no changes were detected in very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol plasma levels. Genistein treatment did not significantly affect anthropometric features, the hormonal milieu, and menstrual cyclicity. No significant changes occurred in glycoinsulinemic metabolism.. The possible advantages derived from the therapeutic use of phytoestrogens in PCOS are limited to improvement of the lipidic assessment.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Blood Glucose; Body Mass Index; Cholesterol; Dyslipidemias; Female; Genistein; Hormones; Humans; Hyperinsulinism; Insulin; Lipid Metabolism; Obesity; Phytoestrogens; Pilot Projects; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Prospective Studies; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Triglycerides; Waist-Hip Ratio; Young Adult

Equol, which is produced by enteric bacteria from soybean isoflavones, has a chemical structure similar to estrogen. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have shown the beneficial metabolic effects of equol. However, its effects on type 2 diabetes remain unclear. We investigated the association between the equol producers/non-producers and type 2 diabetes.. The participants included 147 patients with type diabetes mellitus aged 70-89 years, and 147 age- and sex-matched controls. To ascertain the equol producers or non-producers, we used the comparative logarithm between the urinary equol and daidzein concentrations (cut-off value -1.75).. The urinary equol concentration was significantly lower in the diabetes group compared with the non-diabetes group (P = 0.01). A significant difference in the proportion of equol producers was observed among all participants (38.8% in the diabetes group and 53.1% in the non-diabetes group; P = 0.01). The proportion of equol producers among women was significantly lower in the diabetes group (31.4%) than in the non-diabetes group (52.8%; P < 0.01). Additionally, the frequency of dyslipidemia in female equol producers was significantly lower than that in female non-equol producers (P < 0.01). Among men, no such differences were observed. We found a significant positive correlation between the urinary equol and daidzein concentrations among equol producers (r = 0.55, P < 0.01).. Our study findings showed that postmenopausal women had a low proportion of equol producers with diabetes and dyslipidemia.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Dyslipidemias; East Asian People; Equol; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glycine max; Humans; Isoflavones; Male; Phytoestrogens; Postmenopause; Sex Factors

Estrogen is involved in lipid metabolism. Menopausal women with low estrogen secretion usually gain weight and develop steatosis associated with abnormal lipid metabolism. A previous study showed that blackcurrant (

Topics: Adipocytes; Adiponectin; Alanine Transaminase; Animals; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Body Weight; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Diet, High-Fat; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Dyslipidemias; Fatty Liver; Female; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Intra-Abdominal Fat; Leptin; Lipid Metabolism; Liver; Menopause; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Ovariectomy; Phytoestrogens; Plant Extracts; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Ribes; Triglycerides

Obesity emerged as the major risk factor for metabolic syndrome. Postmenopausal women are more prone to develop obesity than premenopausal women. The absence of safe and effective conventional treatments for postmenopausal obesity has changed the focus to natural products as alternative remedy. We investigated the molecular basis of the effect of soy isoflavones (SIFs) on hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis in an animal model of postmenopausal obesity. Ovariectomized (OVX) and sham-operated Wistar rats were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) and normal diet for 8 weeks with and without SIF extract (150mg/kg body weight/day). Both OVX and HFD per se and when combined caused hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and atherogenic lipid profile. Proteomic studies revealed that both OVX and HFD caused overexpression of hepatic lipogenic proteins, such as LXR, SREBP1, PPARγ, ACC and FAS, in association with reduced expression of lipolytic proteins, such as FXR, PPARα, insig2 and SHP. Histological analysis showed fat accumulation and morphological abnormalities in the liver of OVX and HFD rats. All these metabolic derangements were further augmented when OVX was followed by HFD. In conclusion, these findings suggest that there was a synergism in the development of deranged lipid metabolism with the coexistence of postmenopausal state and the intake of fat-rich diet. SIF extract markedly alleviated the derangement of lipid metabolism suggesting the use of this natural phytoestrogen as a strategy for relieving dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis associated with the postmenopausal women.

Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Diet, High-Fat; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Dyslipidemias; Female; Humans; Hypertriglyceridemia; Isoflavones; Lipid Metabolism; Liver; Metabolic Syndrome; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Obesity; Organ Size; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Ovariectomy; Phytoestrogens; Random Allocation; Rats, Wistar; Soy Foods

Previous studies have examined whether phytoestrogens affect glucose and lipid metabolism. However, data on children and adolescents are still limited, with most of the evidence pertaining to one phytoestrogen, namely genistein. To investigate the effect of six phytoestrogens [daidezin, enterodiol, enterolactone, equol, genistein and O-Desmethylangolensin (O-DMA)] on metabolic disturbances among youths, a cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 2,429 children and adolescents, 6-18 years, from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). The main outcome measures were body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC), fasting glucose, triglycerides and glycohemoglobin. SBP was inversely related to enterolactone and equol. Triglycerides were inversely related to daidezin, equol, genistein and O-DMA. Whereas TC and LDL-C were inversely related to equol, an HDL-C was inversely related to genistein and O-DMA. Whereas fasting glucose was associated with enterodiol (β = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.028, 0.63), a positive relationship was observed between enterodiol and risk of HDL-C ≥ 35 mg dl(-1) (β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.07). In conclusion, certain phytoestrogens may contribute either positively or negatively to disturbances in lipid and glucose metabolism. Large prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm our study findings.

Topics: Adolescent; Blood Glucose; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Child; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyslipidemias; Equol; Genistein; Glucose; Glucose Intolerance; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Phytoestrogens; Triglycerides

Estrogen deficiency and increase in protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity may be a key mechanism in postmenopausal dyslipidemia-induced vascular dysfunction and dementia. Thus, the present study has been designed to investigate the effect of biochanin A (BCA, a phytoestrogen) and sodium orthovanadate (SOV), an inhibitor of PTPase in dyslipidemia-induced vascular dementia in ovariectomized rats.. Female Wistar rats were ovariectomized and fed on high fat diet for 4 weeks to produce dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia was assessed by estimation of serum lipid levels including total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, and LDL levels. Dementia was assessed in terms of increase in brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and attenuation of learning ability (escape latency time) and memory retention (time spent in target quadrant) using Morris water maze. Vascular dysfunction was assessed in terms of attenuation of acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation (isolated carotid ring preparation), mRNA expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and increase in serum thiobarbituric acid reactive species, superoxide anion level. Neurodegeneration was assessed in hippocampus by hematoxylin and eosin staining. BCA (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) and SOV (5 and 10 mg/kg) were administered alone and in low-dose combination to ovariectomized dyslipidemic rats.. BCA (2.5 and 5 mg/kg), SOV (5 and 10 mg/kg), and donepezil (1 mg/kg) significantly improves vascular function, and learning and memory ability and decreases the neuronal cell death, oxidative stress, and AChE in ovariectomized dyslipidemic rats.. Thus, it may be concluded that BCA and SOV attenuate vascular dysfunction and dementia in dyslipidemic ovariectomized rats.

Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Animals; Avoidance Learning; Brain; Dementia, Vascular; Donepezil; Dyslipidemias; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; Genistein; Indans; Lipids; Mental Recall; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; Ovariectomy; Oxidative Stress; Phytoestrogens; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reaction Time; Vanadates

Curcuma comosa Roxb. (C. comosa) is an indigenous medicinal herb that has been used in Thailand as a dietary supplement to relieve postmenopausal symptoms. Recently, a novel phytoestrogen, (3R)-1,7-diphenyl-(4E,6E)-4,6-heptadien-3-ol or compound 049, has been isolated and no study thus far has investigated the role of C. comosa in preventing metabolic alterations occurring in estrogen-deprived state. The present study investigated the long-term effects (12 weeks) of C. comosa hexane extract and compound 049 on insulin resistance in prolonged estrogen-deprived rats.. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and treated with C. comosa hexane extract (125 mg, 250 mg, or 500 mg/kg body weight (BW)) and compound 049 (50 mg/kg BW) intraperitoneally three times per week for 12 weeks. Body weight, food intake, visceral fat weight, uterine weight, serum lipid profile, glucose tolerance, insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose transport activity, and GLUT-4 protein expression were determined.. Prolonged ovariectomy resulted in dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose transport, as compared to SHAM. Treatment with C. comosa hexane extract and compound 049, three times per week for 12 weeks, markedly reduced serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels, improved insulin sensitivity and partially restored uterine weights in ovariectomized rats. In addition, compound 049 or high doses of C. comosa hexane extract enhanced insulin-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and increased muscle GLUT-4 protein levels.. Treatment with C. comosa and its diarylheptanoid derivative improved glucose and lipid metabolism in estrogen-deprived rats, supporting the traditional use of this natural phytoestrogen as a strategy for relieving insulin resistance and its related metabolic defects in postmenopausal women.

Topics: Animals; Biological Transport; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, LDL; Curcuma; Diarylheptanoids; Dyslipidemias; Estrogens; Female; Glucose; Glucose Intolerance; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Heptanol; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Muscle, Skeletal; Organ Size; Ovariectomy; Phytoestrogens; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Uterus