Effects of Exposure to Genistein and Estradiol on Reproductive Development in Immature Male Mice Weaned from Dams Adapted to A Soy-based Commercial Diet

Abstract

Genistein, a soybean-originated isoflavone, is widely consumed by humans for putative beneficial health effects but its estrogenic activity may adversely affect the development of male reproductive system. Twenty one-day-old ICR mice weaned from dams fed with a soybean-based diet throughout gestation and lactation were exposed by gavage to genistein (2.5 mg/kg b.w./day) or 17beta-estradiol (7.5 microg/kg b.w./day) for five weeks. Corn oil was used as a negative control. The animals were fed with a casein-based AIN-76A diet throughout the experimental periods. There were no significant differences in body and organ weights of mice among experimental groups. No significant differences in sperm counts and sperm motile characteristics were found between control and genistein groups. Treatment of 17beta-estradiol caused a significant decrease in prostate weight and epididymal sperm counts compared to the control (p<0.05). The levels of phospholipid hydroxide glutathione peroxidase in the testis and prostate of mice exposed to genistein or 17beta-estradiol were significantly higher than that of the control mice (p<0.05). 17beta-estradiol treatment caused degeneration and apoptosis of germ cells in the testis, depletion and degeneration in the epididymal epithelium, and hyperplasia of mucosal fold region in the prostate of mice. Genistein treatment did not cause any lesion in the testis, epididymis, and prostate. These results suggest that dietary uptake of genistein during juvenile period may not affect male reproductive development and functions.

Relation between serum xenobiotic-induced receptor activities and sperm DNA damage and sperm apoptotic markers in European and Inuit populations

“…Previous studies reported that exposure to non-physiological concentrations of estrogen, testosterone, and estrogenlike chemicals could stimulate the apoptotic pathway in animal germinal cells (Zhou et al 2001, Kim et al 2003, Nair & Shaha 2003, Jung et al 2004, Mishra & Shaha 2005, and cause DNA damage in human sperm (Anderson et al 2003). These reports support the correlations we observed for the European men, e.g.…”

Licorice Extract Does Not Impair the Male Reproductive Function of Rats

“…Estrogens including phytoestrogens such as genistein were found to impair gonadal development and spermatogenesis [10,14,17,19,20,24,26]. It is well known that licorice possesses estrogenic activity [22,35,36,39,40].…”

“…In addition, licorice was found to exert estrogen-like activity [22,35,36,39,40]. Like estrogen, phytoestrogens such as genistein have been found to impair spermatogenesis, and thereby induce deficit of sperm [10,14,17,19,20,24,26]. Such observations led us to investigate the effects of licorice on male reproductive function.…”

Estrogens and progesterone as neuroprotectants: what animal models teach us

“…In animal models, several routes of administration and delivery of steroid hormones have been used, including intravenous injection, subcutaneous injection, intranasal administration (43), oral gavage (44,45), addition of the steroid to the water supply of animals (46), subcutaneous implantation of Silastic ® pellets and implantation of the "matrix-driven delivery (MDD)" pellet (IRA, Sarasota, Fl). The latter two methods have been used with the intention of providing continuous delivery of steroid hormones.…”