Dietary withdrawal of phytoestrogens resulted in higher gene expression of 3-beta-HSD and ARO but lower 5-alpha-R-1 in male rats

ANDREOLI, MARÍA F.; STOKER, CORA; ROSSETTI, MARÍA F; LAZZARINO, GISELA; LUQUE, ENRIQUE H; RAMOS, J. GUILLERMO

NUTRITION RESEARCH

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 36 p. 1004 - 1012

0271-5317

dietary phytoestrogens causes obesity and diabetes in adult male rats. Based on the facts that hypothalamic food intake control is disrupted in phytoestrogen-deprived animals and that several steroids affect food intake, we hypothesized that phytoestrogen withdrawal alters the expression of hypothalamic steroidogenic enzymes. Male Wistar rats fed with a high-phytoestrogen diet from conception to adulthood were subjected to phytoestrogen withdrawal by feeding them a low-phytoestrogen diet, or a high phytoestrogen?high fat diet. Withdrawal of dietary phytoestrogens increased 3HSD and ARO gene expression and decreased those of 5R-1. This is a direct effect of the lack of dietary phytoestrogens and not a consequence of obesity, as it was not observed in high-fat fed rats. Phytoestrogen withdrawal and high-fat diet intake reduced hypothalamic expression of ERcorrelated with low levels of ER-O, ER-OS and ER-OT transcripts. Variations in gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes may affect the content of neurosteroids. As neurosteroids are related to food intake control, the changes observed may be a novel mechanism in the regulation of energy balance in obese phytoestrogen-deprived animals. In rats, steroidogenesis and estrogen receptor signaling appear to be altered by phytoestrogen withdrawal in the rat. The ubiquity of phytoestrogens in the diet and changing intakes or withdrawal suggest that aspects of human health could be affected based on the rat and warrant further research.