Main Article Content

Effect of dietary soy isoflavones on bone loss in ovariectomized rats


Haidong Liang
Fang Yu
Bo Yuan
Zheng Nan Zhao
Chang Gui Tong
Xue Hui Liu
ShuFang Wu

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the effect of dietary soy isoflavone supplementation on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.
Methods: Forty-eight rats were assigned randomly to groups of OVX rats receiving soy isoflavones (20, 30, or 40 mg/kg of body weight daily), untreated OVX rats, or untreated intact rats. After 8 weeks, bone mineral density (BMD), mineral (Ca, P, Mn, Mg, and Zn) concentrations, and the expression of osteoblast-related genes were measured in femur tissue samples.
Results: Eight weeks after OVX, there was a significant decrease in body weight, serum levels of osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and oestradiol, BMD and mineral elements, as well as the expressions of Ctnnb1, Runx2, and Sp7 (all p < 0.05). These decreases were accompanied by reduced maximum load capacity of lumbar vertebrae. Daily supplementation with soy isoflavones dosedependently ameliorated these effects (all p < 0.05). Western blotting revealed that these effects were likely due to the reversal of the OVX-induced decrease in Notch1 proteins in bone and muscle.
Conclusion: Soy isoflavone treatment represents a potential therapy for preventing postmenopausal bone loss by stimulating the Notch signalling.

Keywords: Mineral elements, Alkaline phosphatase, Isoflavones, Bone loss, Notch pathway


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996