» Articles » PMID: 24451983

Testicular Development in Male Rats is Sensitive to a Soy-based Diet in the Neonatal Period

Overview
Journal Biol Reprod
Date 2014 Jan 24
PMID 24451983
Citations 6
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Approximately 30% of infants in the United States are exposed to high doses of isoflavones resulting from soy infant formula consumption. Soybeans contain the isoflavones genistin and daidzin, which are hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract to their genistein and daidzein aglycones. Both aglycones possess hormonal activity and may interfere with male reproductive development. Testosterone, which supports male fertility, is mainly produced by testicular Leydig cells. Our previous studies indicated that perinatal exposure of male rats to isoflavones induced proliferative activity in Leydig cells and increased testosterone concentrations into adulthood. However, the relevance of the neonatal period as part of the perinatal window of isoflavone exposure remains to be established. The present study examined the effects of exposure to isoflavones on male offspring of dams maintained on a casein-based control or whole soybean diet in the neonatal period, that is, Days 2 to 21 postpartum. The results showed that the soybean diet stimulated proliferative activity in developing Leydig cells while suppressing their steroidogenic capacity in adulthood. In addition, isoflavone exposure decreased production of anti-Müllerian hormone by Sertoli cells. Similar to our previous in vitro studies of genistein action in Leydig cells, daidzein induced proliferation and interfered with signaling pathways to suppress steroidogenic activity. Overall, the data showed that the neonatal period is a sensitive window of exposure to isoflavones and support the view that both genistein and daidzein are responsible for biological effects associated with soy-based diets.

Citing Articles

The Role of Genistein in Mammalian Reproduction.

Guelfi G, Pasquariello R, Anipchenko P, Capaccia C, Pennarossa G, Brevini T Molecules. 2023; 28(21).

PMID: 37959856 PMC: 10647478. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217436.


Estrogenic Pastures: A Source of Endocrine Disruption in Sheep Reproduction.

Pool K, Chazal F, Smith J, Blache D Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022; 13:880861.

PMID: 35574027 PMC: 9097266. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.880861.


Regulation of the neuroendocrine axis in male rats by soy-based diets is independent of age and due specifically to isoflavone action†.

Jeminiwa B, Knight R, Braden T, Cruz-Espindola C, Boothe D, Akingbemi B Biol Reprod. 2020; 103(4):892-906.

PMID: 32520353 PMC: 7822637. DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa101.


Effects of soy isoflavones on testosterone synthetase in diet-induced obesity male rats.

Li L, Chen X, Luo Q, Huang C, Liu W, Chen Z Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2020; 10(9):9202-9212.

PMID: 31966792 PMC: 6965929.


EB 2017 Article: Soy protein isolate feeding does not result in reproductive toxicity in the pre-pubertal rat testis.

Ronis M, Gomez-Acevedo H, Shankar K, Sharma N, Blackburn M, Singhal R Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2018; 243(8):695-707.

PMID: 29763383 PMC: 6378512. DOI: 10.1177/1535370218771333.


References
1.
Chen H, Ge R, Zirkin B . Leydig cells: From stem cells to aging. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2009; 306(1-2):9-16. PMC: 2749461. DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2009.01.023. View

2.
Payne A, Hales D . Overview of steroidogenic enzymes in the pathway from cholesterol to active steroid hormones. Endocr Rev. 2004; 25(6):947-70. DOI: 10.1210/er.2003-0030. View

3.
Doerge D, Churchwell M, Chang H, Newbold R, Delclos K . Placental transfer of the soy isoflavone genistein following dietary and gavage administration to Sprague Dawley rats. Reprod Toxicol. 2001; 15(2):105-10. DOI: 10.1016/s0890-6238(01)00108-3. View

4.
Morito K, Hirose T, Kinjo J, Hirakawa T, Okawa M, Nohara T . Interaction of phytoestrogens with estrogen receptors alpha and beta. Biol Pharm Bull. 2001; 24(4):351-6. DOI: 10.1248/bpb.24.351. View

5.
Rice S, D Mason H, Whitehead S . Phytoestrogens and their low dose combinations inhibit mRNA expression and activity of aromatase in human granulosa-luteal cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2006; 101(4-5):216-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2006.06.021. View