title: Assessment of the estrogenic activities of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) sprout isoflavone extract in ovariectomized rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is a traditional Uighur herb. In this study we investigated the estrogenic activities of the isoflavones extracted from chickpea sprouts (ICS) in ovariectomized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten-week-old virgin Sprague-Dawley female rats were ovariectomized (OVX). The rats were administered via intragastric gavage 3 different doses of ICS (20, 50, or 100 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) for 5 weeks. Their uterine weight and serum levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured. The epithelial height, number of glands in the uterus, and number of osteoclasts in the femur were histologically quantified, and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was assessed immunohistochemically. Bone structural parameters, including bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) were measured using Micro-CT scanning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatments of OVX rats with ICS (50 or 100 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) produced significant estrogenic effects on the uteruses, including the increases in uterine weight, epithelial height and gland number, as well as in the expression of the cell proliferation marker PCNA. The treatments changed the secretory profile of ovarian hormones and pituitary gonadotropins: serum E2 level was significantly increased, while serum LH and FSH levels were decreased compared with the vehicle-treated OVX rats. Furthermore, the treatments significantly attenuated the bone loss, increased BMD, BV/TV and Tb.Th and decreased Tb.Sp and the number of osteoclasts. Treatment of OVX rats with the positive control drug E2 (0.25 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) produced similar, but more prominent effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ICS exhibits moderate estrogenic activities as compared to E2 in ovariectomized rats, suggesting the potential use of ICS for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis caused by estrogen deficiency.
authors: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Natural Products Chemistry, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China.
authors: Hai-rong
authors: HR
authors: Ma
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Hong-xue
authors: HX
authors: Qi
authors: Yan-hua
authors: YH
authors: Gao
authors: Li-juan
authors: LJ
authors: Pang
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Zhen-hua
authors: ZH
authors: Wang
authors: Ming-jun
authors: MJ
authors: Duan
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Cao
authors: Haji Akber
authors: HA
authors: Aisa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029863:Cicer / Q000737:chemistry*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D010052:Ovariectomy; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D036226:Seedlings / Q000737:chemistry; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone