Eating to beat breast cancer: Potential role for soy supplements

Background: The study reviews the anticancer properties of naturalisoflavones which occur in especially high concentration in soybeans. Itconsiders the suitability of soybean products for clinical trials aiming toreduce the progression of breast cancer.Methods: Evidence is reviewed that plant isoflavones such asgenistein show cytostatic activity against human mammary cancer cell linesin vitro and can also suppress carcinogen-induced mammary cancer inyoung and mature rats.Results: Plant isoflavones are converted in the bowel to compoundswith potential antioestrogenic and antioxidative properties. These compoundsshow cytostatic activity for both oestrogen receptor-positive and negativehuman mammary cancer cell lines, and also inhibit growth and progress of therat mammary cancer model. The high content of soybean products in the diet ofAsian women has been postulated as one reason for their relatively low breastcancer incidence.Conclusion: Preclinical studies suggest that soybean products begiven priority for clinical trials in breast cancer protection. A pilot studycould test soy protein supplements as long-term adjuvant dietary treatmentafter primary surgery for early breast cancer, looking for a decrease in therisk of recurrence or of second primary tumours.     

The isoflavones mixture from Trifolium pratense L. protects HCN 1-A neurons from oxidative stress

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death has been implicated in different neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's. Using the Alzheimer's disease-associated hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), we investigated the neuroprotective efficacy of a natural mixture of phytoestrogenic isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, biochanin A and formononetin) from Trifolium pratense L. (Red clover) against oxidative stress-induced cell death in human cortical cell line HCN 1-A maintained in culture. Neuronal viability was determined by MTT or trypan blue test and neuronal integrity by morphological analysis.The results obtained indicate that exposure of HCN 1-A cell cultures to hydrogen peroxide resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in neuron viability. Concentration of H(2)O(2) ranging from 50 to 200 microg/ml were toxic to these cultures. A 24-hour pretreatment with 0.5, 1 and 2 microg/ml isoflavones extract significantly increased cell survival as evidenced by MTT or trypan blue test and significantly prevented the morphological disruption caused by H(2)O(2) as shown by microscopical inspection, indicating that neurons treated with isoflavones were protected from the cell death induced by H(2)O(2) exposure. These findings imply that the neuroprotective effect of isoflavones extract is partly associated with its antioxidant activity. Further, results of these investigations indicate that although isoflavones extract exert a neuroprotective effect, it do not promoted cortical neuron process outgrowth.     

联合补充大豆异黄酮和钙预防去势大鼠骨质疏松的实验研究

目的 研究联合补充大豆异黄酮和钙对去卵巢大鼠骨质疏松的预防作用。方法 将50只3月龄SD雌性大鼠摘除卵巢后按体重随机分成5组：假手术对照组、手术对照组、大豆异黄酮组（40mg／kgBW）、钙组（100mg／kgBW）、钙＋大豆异黄酮组（Ca100mg／kgBW＋SI40mg／kgBW）。连续灌胃饲养3个月后测定大鼠血清骨钙素，左侧股骨测定骨密度和骨钙含量、右侧股骨进行骨组织形态学计量分析。结果 Ca＋SI组血清BGP水平和股骨骨密度均高于其他去卵巢各组（P〈0．05），但低于Sham组（P〈0．05）；Ca＋SI组大鼠股骨的骨钙含量与Ca组、Sham组差异均无统计学意义；在去卵巢各组大鼠中手术对照组、大豆异黄酮组和钙组大鼠的骨小梁数目和骨小梁厚度显著减少，骨小梁间距明显增宽，与钙＋大豆异黄酮组相比有显著差异（P〈0．05）。结论 与单独补充大豆异黄酮或钙相比，大豆异黄酮与钙的联合应用能够更有效地预防去卵巢大鼠骨质疏松的发生。     

生三七对肝纤维化小鼠血液流变学的影响

目的:观察生三七对肝纤维化小鼠血液流变学的影响。方法:复制小鼠中毒性肝纤维化模型,生三七粉灌胃6周,检测全血粘度、血浆粘度、红细胞压积等血液流变学参数,并行肝脏病理组织切片检测。结果:与空白对照组比较,肝纤维化模型组小鼠全血粘度、血浆粘度、红细胞压积明显增高(P<0.05,P<0.01),生三七治疗后小鼠全血粘度、血浆粘度、红细胞压积明显降低(P<0.05,P<0.01);肝脏病理组织切片显示使用生三七后,肝纤维化程度有明显改善。结论:生三七可降低血液粘度,延缓肝纤维化的发展。     

Role of Isoflavones in the Hypocholesterolemic Effect of Soy

Epidemiologic data suggest an inverse relationship between the consumption of soy isoflavones and cardiovascular disease risk. The aims of this review are to determine if isoflavones play a role in the hypocholesterolemic effect of soy and whether the studies realized with that scope were adequately designed. In humans, most studies have been performed in postmenopausal women. The results are inconsistent, however; some studies show a decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein concentrations, and an increase in high-density lipoprotein levels, and other investigations fail to show any beneficial effect of soy isoflavones on lipid profiles. In most studies, beneficial effects could not be attributed with certainty to soy isoflavones. If these components have any health-protecting effect in humans, it is small in comparison with the effect of soy protein itself. There are currently not enough data to recommend the consumption of isoflavone supplements to lower plasma cholesterol levels.     

大豆膳食纤维对面团流变性质的影响

将豆腐生产的下脚料豆渣在挤压前后添加到面粉中，对面粉粉质和面团拉伸性质所受影响进行了研究。     

大豆异黄酮对大鼠慢性移植肾肾病的防治作用

目的通过对肾移植大鼠的饮食营养干预，观察大豆异黄酮对慢性移植肾肾病的防治作用。方法选择近交系雄性Fisher（F344）大鼠作为供者，雄性Lewis（Lew）大鼠作为受者，采用显微外科技术制作肾移植模型。将受者随机分为三组，分别给予高异黄酮大豆蛋白饲料（HIS组）、低异黄酮大豆蛋白饲料（LIS组）或酪蛋白饲料（CAS组）。移植前和移植后第4、12和24周时检测血压，并收集受者的血和尿样，检测尿蛋白和血肌酐含量。24周时处死大鼠获取移植肾，行组织学和免疫组织化学检查。结果在移植后4周时，HIS组受者的尾动脉收缩压、24h尿蛋白含量和血肌酐浓度即低于LIS组和CAS组，但差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；移植后12周和24周时，HIS组的受者尾动脉收缩压、24h尿蛋白含量和血肌酐浓度均较LIS组和CAS组显著降低（P〈0．05）；移植后24周时，HIS组移植肾组织的间质纤维化和炎症、血管硬化、肾小球硬化和肾小管萎缩等慢性病变均较LIS组和CAS组为轻（P〈0．05）；HIS组移植肾组织中转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）的表达和分泌均较LIS组和CAS组为少（P〈0．05）。结论大豆异黄酮对移植肾功能和结构有保护作用，可作为一种防治慢性移植肾肾病的新方法。     

Evolutionary changes in the structures of the cox2 and atp6 loci in the mitochondrial genome of soybean involving recombination across small interspersed sequences

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments that contained cox2 or atp6 loci were cloned from three accessions of wild soybean (Glycine soja) in order to understand the evolutionary changes of mitochondrial genomes in the genus Glycine subgenus Soja. Cox2 was cloned as a single configuration, while atp6 was cloned as either one or two configurations from each accession. Structural variations were detected in the 5′ upstream region of cox2 and in both the 5′ upstream and 3′ downstream regions of atp6. These variations appeared to be the results of recombination events. A comparison of the mtDNA fragments previously cloned from a cultivated soybean (G. max) and a wild soybean revealed various sites of recombination, as well as various combinations of the 5′ and 3′ regions, at the cox2 and atp6 loci. Some of the cloned fragments were found to contain a set of repeated sequences, namely 299-bp and 23-bp repeats in the 5′ region of cox2 or atp6, which were interspersed in the mitochondrial genome in the subgenus Soja. Recombination events involving the 299-bp or 23-bp repeated sequences were shown to account for the generation of structural variations in the 5′ regions of these loci. Received: 21 March / 4 August 1998     

The Binding of Different Lectins on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Chronic Inflammatory and Malignant Diseases

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with multiple myeloma, gastrointestinal tumors, and inflammatory bowel disease were analyzed for binding of various lectins. The results demonstrated that in most of the patients with multiple myeloma a significantly increased percentage of cells positive for Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin (LTA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and a decreased number of Agaricus bisporus agglutinin (ABA) positive cells were present as compared to a normal control group. This could not be shown in malignant or inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract where only some patients exhibited an increased PNA and LTA binding, respectively. Patients with the systemic malignant disease differed from patients with solid localized tumors by a significantly altered number of ABA, LTA and SBA-positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Double fluorescence studies using monoclonal antibodies and lectins revealed that most of the cells expressing receptors for ABA had also receptors for OKT3, whereas most of the cells with receptors for LTA, PNA SBA, and WGA were found to be positive for OKM.     

雪山芪的化学成分研究

目的 研究雪山芪He dysaram sikkimense Benth．ex Baker．var．rigidum Hand、-Mass．的化学成分。方法 采用反复硅胶柱层析分离纯化,通过理化常数测定和光谱分析鉴定化合物的结构。结果 从雪山芪干燥根中分离得到9个化合物。根据波谱分析和理化数据,鉴定出其中8个化合物分别为：羽扇豆醇(lupeol,1)、4′-羟基-7-甲氧基异黄酮(isoformononetein,Ⅱ)、4′-羟基-6,7-二甲氧基异黄酮(3-[4-hydroxyphenyl-6,7-dimetoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one],Ⅲ)、熊果酸(ursolic acid,Ⅳ)、山嵛酸-α-单甘油酯(docosanooic acid-2,3-d．hydroxypropyl ester,Ⅴ)、二十四烷酸(lignoceric acid,Ⅵ)、β-谷甾醇(β-sitosterol,Ⅶ)及蔗糖。结论 以上化合物均为首次从该植物中分得。